Marcus Christie goes close to Ryan Mullen’s Irish 10 mile TT record

Marcus Christie showed he is coming into some great form by going to within 10 seconds of Ryan Mullen's Irish record for the elite men's 10 mile TT. Above, Christie finishing his effort tonight on a new course close to Ballymena (Photo: Gordon Parker)

Marcus Christie has gone very close to the Irish elite men’s 10 mile TT record set by Ryan Mullen in 2014 by clocking a time of 17:52 at the latest round of the Ernie Magwood Super 6 TT League this evening.

The test was on the new Frosses course, north of Ballymena, Co Antrim; a fast course that produced a number of PBs on the night.

Former national elite TT champion, and road and track international,
Eileen Burns of Ballymena Road Club won the women’s race in a time of 20:56.

Jane Wilkinson (Bann Wheelers) was in 2nd place, with 22:22,
while Laura Campbell (Ballymena RC) was 3rd on 22:34.

Marcus Christie (Performance SBR), who has represented
Ireland at the Worlds and Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Games, is one of
the best testers Ireland has produced and was within 10 seconds of Mullen’s
record this evening.

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Mullen, now a WorldTour pro with Trek Segafredo, set the current Irish record back in 2014 when he was aged 20 years and riding for An Post-Chainreaction. He claimed silver in the U23 TT at the Worlds just weeks later.

Christie, now aged 29 years, is a former junior Irish TT champion and has medaled in the elite TT national championships while also finishing 7th in the TT at the Commonwealth Games in 2018, the second time he was selected for the Games.

Tonight he was 22 seconds clear of George Peden; the Prologue Performance Cycling man recording a time of 18:14. Craig McAuley of Caldwell Cycles was 3rd in a time of 18:28.

More later.