Stephanie Roche (Scott Bright Motor Group) and Darnell Moore (Caldwell Cycles) have won the main events at 'Round 8' of the Ulster Cyclocross Series promoted by Square Wheels at Palace Demesne, Co Armagh.
Roche was best in the women's race on Sunday, some 2:15 ahead of her sister and team mate, Annie Roche. Irish road race masters 50 title winner this year, Helen White (Stamullen RC), rounded out the podium at 3:45.
In the men's race, Moore - who will be on the Irish team for the UCI Cyclocross World Cup in Dublin next week - claimed victory by 42 seconds from Graham Boyd (McConvey Cycles), with Jamie Meehan (Spellman Dublin Port) 3rd at 1:32.
How it unfolded
In the women's race, Stephanie Roche led from start to finish; putting 18 seconds into sister Annie on the opening lap. White, who had just returned from the Masters Worlds in the UK where she was 7th in the 55-59 years race, was 51 seconds back after that first lap of five
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Those gaps continued to grow though the remainder of the race, with the top three positions remaining the same but more daylight appearing between those riders as the laps ticked down.
In the end, the Roches were 2:15 apart in 1st and 2nd with White 3:45 down on the winner. Elena Wallace (Harps CC) was 4th at 6:12 while Caroline Martinez (Chainreaction Cycles) was 5th at one lap.
In the men's race, Moore got the best start and continued to grow his advantage on each passage of the course in the seven-lap race. While the early leader only managed to take two seconds on Meehan on the opening lap and five on Boyd, he continued to work away.
Moore took another five seconds from Meehan on the second lap and gained 17 seconds on Boyd in 3rd. The race continued to unfold in that vein over the following laps. However, behind leader Moore, Boyd began to lap faster than Meehan and passed him on lap five.
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And while Boyd also took back 13 seconds on Moore on that fifth lap, the gap between the leader and 2nd placed rider was already too great to shut down.
Moore closed out his race with a single second gain on Boyd on the penultimate lap and 24 seconds on the final lap to beat him by 42 seconds. Meehan was 3rd at 1:32. David O'Neill (Inspired Cycling) was 4th at 3:07 while Seth Dunwoody (Shelbourne-Orchard CC) placed 5th, and was first junior, at 4:49.
In the Men's B Race, Vinny Mort (Dunloy CC) claimed victory over Colm McGahan of promoting club Square Wheels, by 22 seconds. Mort got the slower start in the five-lap race, losing 17 seconds to McGahan over the first two laps.
However, Mort matched early leader McGahan on the third lap before hitting the afterburners on lap four to catch and pass McGahan. Mort then extended his lead on the final lap. While beating runner-up McGahan by 22 seconds, he was 1:19 up on 3rd placed Sean Scullion (Island Wheelers) on the line.
Sun, Dec 4th: ‘Round 8’ Ulster Cyclo-Cross Series
Palace Demesne, Armagh
Promoted by Square Wheels
Men’s A Race
- Darnell MOORE Team Caldwell Cycles 51:04
- Graham BOYD McConvey Cycles 51:46
- Jamie MEEHAN Spellman-Dublin Port 52:36
- David O'NEILL Inspired Cycling 54:11
- Seth DUNWOODY Shelbourne/Orchard CC 55:53
- Colm MCGARVEY EPIC MTB/Expert Cycles 56:02
- Stephen MCKENNA Omagh Wheelers Cycling Club 56:39
- Declan MCENTEE Emyvale CC 57:40
- James WILSON Velocity Road Club 57:41
- Pierre KINSELLA Breffni Wheelers 58:47
- Eoghan MCGUIGAN Dromara Cycling Club 58:55
- Jonathan TAYLOR Carn Wheelers 58:58
- Jonny ADAMS Killinchy Cycling Club 59:03
- Fergal MCCABE Oldcastle CC 59:59
- David MCKEE VC Glendale -1 lap
- Gerard CRAIG VC Glendale -1 lap
- Johnny MCCABE Cuchulainn CC -1 lap
- Sean MCCOURT VC Glendale -1 lap
- Neil ERVINE Apollo Cycling Team -1 lap
- Glen CURRY Ards CC -1 lap
- Conor DOONEY Foyle CC -1 lap
- Ciaran CAMPBELL Square Wheels -1 lap
- Stuart SUCKLING VC Glendale -1 lap
- Christopher MCCANN Banbridge CC -1 lap
- Eamon LONEY Un-Attached Ulster -1 lap
Women’s Race
- Stephanie ROCHE Scott Bright Motor Group 45:41
- Annie ROCHE Scott Bright Motor Group 47:56
- Helen WHITE Stamullen RC 49:26
- Elena WALLACE Harps CC 51:53
- Caroline MARTINEZ Chain Reaction Cycles 44:31
- Zoe LINDSAY TC Racing -1 lap
- Emma CONVEY EPIC MTB/Expert Cycles -1 lap
- Carly CONNOLLY Square Wheels -1 lap
- Michelle IRVINE -1 lap
Men’s B Race
- Vinny MORT Dunloy CC 44:22
- Colm MCGAHAN Square Wheels 44:44
- Sean SCULLION Island Wheelers 45:41
- Ian LAMBDEN Lakeside Wheelers Mullingar CC 46:24
- Peter OLIVER The Bike House CC 46:52
- Gavin THOMPSON Un-Attached Ulster 47:02
- Rob JENNINGS Lucan Cycling Road Club 47:33
- Kevin MCDOWELL Un-Attached Ulster 47:54
- Colm MITCHELL Square Wheels 48:41
- Gibson CHAMBERS Dromara Cycling Club 48:42
- Brian KELLY Team Caldwell Cycles 49:01
- Bernard MACKLE Square Wheels 49:28
- Donal GALLAGHER Omagh Wheelers Cycling Club 50:16
- Alex BELL Unattached 50:17
- Niall MCCARRON Newry Wheelers CC 50:38
- Damien CONNOLLY Square Wheels 50:55
- Gareth DEMPSEY Square Wheels 51:46
- Matthew LEATHEM Un-Attached Ulster 52:39
- Stephen O'HALLORAN Moynalty Cycling Club 53:12
- Conrad KETTYLES VC Glendale 53:17
- Peter O'SULLIVAN Ards CC 53:24
- Shane CAMPBELL Square Wheels 53:41
- Sean DALY Cuchulainn CC 54:00
- Christopher COREY Apollo Cycling Team 55:36
- Fred MACSORLEY Apollo Cycling Team 56:28
- Dave MCNEELY Un-Attached Ulster -1 lap
- Mark MAGORRIAN Un-Attached Ulster -1 lap
- Michael HAMILTON Un-Attached Ulster -1 lap
- John MCGUIGAN Dromara Cycling Club -1 lap
U16 Boys Race
- Curtis MCKEE Scott Bright Motor Group 29:31
- James ARMSTRONG VC Glendale 31:13
- Adam WARD VC Glendale 32:20
- Eoghan MCKENNA Omagh Wheelers Cycling Club 32:52
- Peter QUIGLEY Foyle CC 33:23
- Riley SMITH Banbridge CC 33:26
- Oliver HYLÉN O'SHAUGHNES Cuchulainn CC 35:05
- Mark MOLLOY Dunloy CC 38:01
- Luca MURRAY VC Glendale 38:12
U16 Girls Race
- Aliyah RAFFERTY Island Wheelers 34:15
- Rhiannon DOLAN Cuchulainn CC
- Cara SUCKLING VC Glendale
- Aoibhinn SHARKEY VC Glendale
- Elisa SUNDERLAND Lisburn BMX Club
- Ffion DOLAN Cuchulainn CC
