Hat-trick man Aiken laps the field in mud bath Larne cyclocross

Roger Aiken made the most of absolutely appalling conditions in Larne on Sunday to take the third round of the Ulster Cyclo Cross Series.

The Banbridge CC man made it three wins from three to date in the series, apparently revelling in atrocious conditions to lap the entire field and romp away with the race on the undulating and technical Seacourt course.

The riders’ challenge in the main cyclocross event was made all the more arduous by the course being chewed up into a mud bath by a full programme of support events earlier in the day.

Aiken put in a very fast opening lap and when he came across the finish line to head out on his second of ten laps, he had only veteran John Bogues (Phoenix CC) for company.

A chase group of six containing in-form Matt Adair (U/A) was already almost 30 seconds in arrears.

However, it was on the second lap that Aiken stamped his clear superiority on the race, effectively putting the outcome to bed. He pulled well over a minute out of Bogues, who had been overhauled by Adair on the second lap; with the teenager already 1:30 down on Aiken.

From that point the gaps simply got bigger as the terrain became even more chewed up and trickier following the rain of the previous days.

Aiken eventually lapped everyone and was the only rider in the field to complete all 10 laps, with the race ending for the best of the rest after nine testing circuits. Bogues won his battle with Adair for second place, with the promising teenager taking third.

Gill Smith (U/A) took the women’s prize from Lisa Millar (Dromara CC). In the MTB support race Patrick Kelly (Carn Wheelers) led from the start of the six lap event to take a fine win from Mark Farrell (U/A) and Gareth Blair (ChainReaction Cycles).

Diane Wilson (Dromara CC) took the MTB women’s support race. Aaron Donnelly (Newry Wheelers) bagged the U16 event; Aaron Swan (TSC/BCC) took the U14; Max Melville (Dromara CC) took the U12 honours; Drew Armstrong (XMTB McConvey) won the U10s with Fraser Harrower (Dromara CC) winning the one-lap U8 race. The promoting club were Team Madigan.

(See full set of photos and results table below).

Ulster Cyclo Cross League Round 3 – Seacourt, Larne

PROVISIONAL RESULTS

Elite
1. Roger Aiken (Banbridge CC)
2. Matthew Adair (U/A)
3. Ray O'Shaughnessy (Cuchulainn CC)
4 Tim Edgar (U/A)
5 Jason Henry (U/A)
6 Stephen Beck ( East Antrim - Audi)

Veterans
1. John Bogues (Phoenix CC)
2. Robert Lamont (XMTB McConvey Cycles)
3. Stephen Moffitt (Phoenix CC)

Super Vet
1 Johnny McCabe (Cuchulainn)
2 Fred Macsorley (Apollo CT)
3 Alistair Bratten (Roe Valley)

Women
1 Gill Smith (U/A)
2 Lisa Millar (Dromara Cycling Club)

1st unplaced junior
Stuart Ballantine (XMTB McConvey Cycles)

MTB Race (males)
1st Patrick Kelly
2nd Mark Farrell
3rd Gareth Blair

MTB Race (females)
1st Diane Wilson
2nd Andrea Harrower
3rd Kathryn Bell

U14, U16 to follow

Under 8s (boys)
1. Fraser Harrower
2. Shea O'Kane
3. Adam Mc Caughtry

Under 8s (girls)
1. Ellie Mc Nicholl
2. Olivia Millar

Under 10s (boys)
1. Drew Armstrong
2. Ben Wilson
3. Cathir Doyle

Under 10s (girls)
1. Kelly Wilson
2. Sarah Elder
3. Rebecca Carlin

Under 12s (boys)
1. Max Melville
2. Max Anderson
3. Dominic Bradley