Boyd pushed all the way by teenager Rafferty, McKiverigan also wins

Graham
Boyd took victory in the elite men’s race at the latest round of the Ulster
Cyclocross Series in Belfast yesterday.

In a
dramatic VC Glendale promotion, Boyd just about saw off Darren Rafferty (Island
Wheelers); the winner proving too strong for the first-year junior at the very
end of the contest.

Back in
3rd place was last weekend’s winner Thomas Creighton, a McConvey Cycles team
mate of Boyd.

Creighton
crashed on the opening lap, a mishap that gifted the eventual winner and
runner-up a valuable advantage.

Rafferty
in particular really punished that error as he got out of the traps very
rapidly indeed and opened a gap o the opening circuit of six.

Last
weekend he was also 2nd, to Creighton, in Irvinestown when he was not gridded
as he had not ridden the opening round of the series.

That
meant he got a slow start but he had no such problems yesterday and stormed into
an early lead.

However,
Boyd is a proven campaigner at this stage and he closed the gap to Rafferty on
the second lap and edged past him.

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From
that point on the leading pair could not be separated, in what was a very hard
fought battle for victory.

On the
last lap though Boyd had too much power for the younger man and blasted in to
win, by four seconds in the end.

Creighton
put up a spirited ride behind the two leaders and ended the race on the final
spot on the podium, some 27 seconds behind Boyd.

Former
national champion Darnell Moore (Caldwell Cycles) placed 4th, some 1:08 down on
winner Boyd.

In the
women’s elite race it was a familiar sight at the end of the contest; Niamh McKiverigan
(Scott Eurocycles) on top of the podium.

In the
four-lap race she got ahead of Rachel Irvine (The Bike House CC) early and then
pressed on to build he advantage.

She was fastest on ever lap and the gap between the winner and runner-up Irvine was a significant 1:22 at the finish.

Judith Russell (Phoenix CC) placed 3rd, some 27 seconds down on Irvine and 1:49 off McKiverigan.

Sun, Oct 20th: Ulster Cyclocross Series

Falls Park, Belfast

Promoted by VC Glendale

Elite Men's Race

1. Graham BOYD McConvey Cycles Senior 57:13
2. Darren RAFFERTY Island Wheelers Juniors 57:17
3. Thomas CREIGHTON McConvey Cycles Espoirs 57:41
4. Darnell MOORE Caldwell Cycles Omagh Senior 58:21
5. Timothy O'REGAN Team WORC Senior 59:54
6. Alan BINGHAM Newry Wheelers CC M40 1:00:00
7. Glenn KINNING Kinning Cycles Senior 1:00:33
8. Barry KELLETT Dromara Cycling Club M40 1:00:36
9. Lee HARVEY VC Glendale Espoirs 1:00:37
10. Darragh MCCARTER Donegal Bay Cycling Club Senior 1:00:42
11. Paul MCCARTER Donegal Bay Cycling Club M40 1:02:00
12. Dominic MCCARTAN Apollo Cycling Team M40 1:02:24
13. Ciaran DIXON Team Type 1 Junior Team Juniors 1:02:25
14. Barry CONVERY Newry Wheelers CC M40 1:03:05
15. Paul-Antoine HAGAN Banbridge CC Juniors 1:03:15
16. Christian NACHTIGALL Phoenix CC M40 1:04:03
17. Johnny TAYLOR Carn Wheelers M40 1:04:44
18. Dean HARVEY VC Glendale Juniors 1:04:48
19. David O'NEILL Inspired Cycling M40 1:04:49
20. Caolem MCCARTER Donegal Bay CC Espoirs 1:05:02

Elite Women's Race

1. Niamh MCKIVERIGAN Scott Eurocycles.com (S) 47:21
2. Rachel IRVINE The Bike House CC (S) 48:43
3. Judith RUSSELL Phoenix CC (M) 49:10
4. Gill SMITH Unattached (M) 50:18
5. Caoimhe MAY Scott Orwell Wheelers Cycling Club (J) 50:44
6. Stephanie ROCHE Scott Eurocycles.com (J) 50:58
7. Leah MCCARTHY Team Giant Dublin (S) 51:24
8. Eileen BURNS Ballymena Road Club (S) 51:55
9. Maria MCALLISTER Island Wheelers (J) 51:58
10. Julie REA Phoenix CC (M) 52:22
11. Niamh STEPHENS TC Racing (S) 53:24
12. Helen WHITE Stamullen RC (M) 53:39
13. Martina HAWKINS Dromara Cycling Club (M) 55:00
14. Roisin SKEFFINGTON Square Wheels (M) 56:38
15. Alison MCMULLAN Unattached (M) 57:14

Men's B Race

1. Tomas KNAPCOK Clogher Valley Wheelers 44:25
2. Mark GORDON Newry Wheelers CC 44:47
3. Paul HAMILTON Dromara Cycling Club 45:24
4. Colin DEANE Unattached 45:35
5. Geoff ALDERDICE Dromore CC 46:21
6. Jamie GREGG Dromore CC 46:26
7. Brian KELLETT Dromara Cycling Club 46:48
8. John SCOTT Shelbourne/Orchard CC 47:11
9. Ciaran DONNELLY Termon Wheelers 47:32
10. Mark IRVINE The Bike House CC 47:38
11. Peter MCBRIDE Banbridge CC 47:41
12. Darren MCCANN Dromara Cycling Club 47:42
13. Mark MALONE Phoenix CC 47:57
14. William LARMOUR The Bike House CC 48:04
15. Eoin STEPHENS Team Giant Dublin 48:08
16. Edward KEARNEY Phoenix CC 48:11
17. Bryan GAFFNEY Team Cavan Racing 48:19
18. Richard COWAN Dromara Cycling Club 48:22
19. Stuart SUCKLING Maryland Wheelers 48:24
20. Matthew SINTON Portadown Cycling Club 48:50

• Full results from all races can be found here.