Chris McGlinchey attacks in the Annaclone GP chased by Craig Rea, with Daniel Stewart just behind (Photo with thanks to David McVeigh and The Belgian Project)
Roger Aiken has kicked off the 2016 domestic road season by winning the Travers Engineering Annaclone GP promoted by Banbridge CC this afternoon.
The reigning provincial and national cyclocross champion proved his class by winning a bunch sprint from a strong field in the combined A1-A2-A3 feature event.
The ASEA-Wheelworx man started the day in the scratch group with around 20 others and with a two-minute head-start given to the A2s.
The A3s given another minute, meaning the scratch riders had their work cut out for them.
But on the rolling circuit which featured six laps of a 12-kilometre course, Aiken’s group were back on level terms with the A3s by the end of the second lap.
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Indeed, with strong representation from Phoenix CC, Newry Wheelers, Aiken and the host club Banbridge CC, it was shaping up to be a cracking event as the real racing began around the midway point.
Several little groups of twos and threes used the drag up to the start-finish area to escape off the front.
But with a strong headwind it was always going to be difficult and no group managed to gain any meaningful gap.
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Aiken saved his powder for the final lap to launch his one and only attack.
He managed to put daylight between himself and the bunch, with company in the form of James Curry (Banbridge CC) and Aaron Swan (Ballymoney CC).
They pulled clear but on the long and fast descent they were reeled back in, which paved the way for the finishing sprint.
The emerging young gun Curry took it up early but ran out of legs.
Off his wheel came eventual runner-up Craig Rea (Phoenix CC) who looked very strong, though not strong enough to hold off the man who came around him, the indomitable Aiken.
We’ll have a chat with Aiken later.
Sat, Feb 20th: Annaclone GP
Promoted by Banbridge Cycling Club
A1, A2, A3 Race
1 Roger Aiken (ASEA-Wheelworx)
2 Craig Rea (Phoenix CC)
3 Chris McGlinchey (ChainReaction)
4 Kevin McKinney (Armagh CC)
5 Ronan Killeen (Lucan CRC)
6 Mark Millar (VCM)
7 Daniel Stewart (An Post-Chainreaction)
8 Stewart Thompson (Spires CC)
9 Andrew Hicks (Newry Wheelers)
10 Curtis Gilmore (Team Madigan)
11 Paul Wilkinson (West Down Wheelers)
12 Darragh McCarter (Donegal Bay CC)
13 Luke Hylands (Keevan CC)
A4 Race
1 Wayne Garrett (Ards CC)
2 Barry Tinnelly (Newry Wheelers)
3 Ben Cady (VCM)
4 Don Travers (Banbridge CC)
5 Mark Maguire (Castlereagh CC)
6 Edward Kearney (Phoenix CC)
7 Richard Hanna (Ards CC)
8 Mark Kendall (Banbridge CC)
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