Peter McLean takes off on his own for victory in main event in Newry

*Peter McLean hit the headlines last year when he broke the Irish Everesting record and now he's done it again; this time claiming victory in the Newry Wheelers John Haldane promotion main event*

Having used the lock-down last year to break the Irish
Everesting record, Peter McLean is back in racing action and has claimed his
first win of the season as he was best today at the Newry Wheelers John Haldane
promotion.

Ards Cycling Club rider McLean was active off the front
of the A1-A2 race throughout and as the event neared its finish he took off on
his own and had the legs to make it all the way.

McLean was about 15 seconds ahead of the chasing pack on
the finish line, with Lee Harvey (VC
Glendale) getting the better of those behind for 2nd place and Mark McKinley of
promoting club Newry Wheelers rounding out the podium.

His team mate
Alan Bingham was 4th, with Kevin McKinney (Armagh CC) in 5th and Gavin McGowan of
Dromara CC rounding out the top six in the main event.

The A2 riders got three minutes on the A1 scratch riders in the handicapped race. And when the limit group got down to work, and the same level of cooperation was lacking in the A1 group, the gap between the two bunches went out rather than closed.

*Rowan Montgomery powers in to claim the A3 race ahead of Paul Antoine Hagan and Dean Harvey in Newry today (Photo: Newry Wheelers)*

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The initial three
minute advantage enjoyed by the A2s went out over 3½ minutes as attacks from
the scratch group upset their cooperation. It meant the race rode away from
them up the road on the out a back course from Newry to Warrenpoint.

The riders faced a headwind on the 8km outward route and
a tailwind after they turned at the Warrenpoint roundabout and raced back in
towards the finish, with six laps to complete today.

When the gap between the two groups was still about three
minutes at the halfway point the attacks began in the front group. Eventual
winner McLean was one of those who spent time off the front and he rode solo
for a prolonged period into the headwind before being caught again.

However, on the last lap he attacked hard as the final
outward leg was nearing an end. And by the time he reached the roundabout and
turned for the finish for the final time he was clear on his own.

From that point he put the head down and rode as hard as
he could all the way to the line; his efforts proving enough to hold off those
behind for a strong win.

The A3 race today was won by Rowan Montgomery; the Ballymoney CC man putting in a really strong finish to power home just ahead of Paul Antoine Hagan (Banbridge CC) and Dean Harvey VC Glendale.