Russell and Moore lead the way at Ulster Cyclocross Series

*Darnell Moore has taken victory at Round 2 of the Ulster Cyclocross Seriest today at Ballee Playing Fields, Ballymena (Photo: Toby Watson)*

Darnell Moore (Caldwell Cycles) and Judith Russell (Phoenix CC) were best in the main events today at 'Round 2' of the Ulster Cyclocross Series in Co Antrim.

In the men’s race, Moore was pushed all the way by the evergreen multiple national champion Alan Bingham; the Newry Wheelers man pressing hard in the second half of the contest and forcing his rival to dig deep to win.

Over the seven-lap race in Ballee Playing Fields,
Ballymena, Moore got out of the traps fastest and opened an early gap of about
20 seconds after three laps.

However, both Bingham and Darragh McCarter (Spellman Dublin Port) did enough to keep Moore in their sights during that early phase of the race. Bingham then hit the afterburners; going hard on the fourth lap to peg back McCarter and go off in pursuit of lone leader Moore.

Bingham again proved marginally faster than Moore on laps 5 and 6. However, though the veteran got back to the front of the race for the big finale, Moore was too strong around the final lap.

He pulled clear to win from Bingham by just eight seconds
after 50 minutes of racing. McCarter had battled all the way just behind the
two leaders and he placed 3rd. He was only five seconds behind Bingham in what
was a close run race at the front.

In the women’s race, the outcome was settled a lot sooner into the event, with Russell pulling clear of her rivals early and then continuing to pile on the pressure out front.

She put over 50 seconds into her nearest rival, Sasha
Gannon of Breffni Wheelers, on the opening lap of five and continued in that
vein.

By the finish, Russell ran out the winner by over five minutes from Gannon. Caroline Martinez of Chain Reaction Cycles placed 3rd, some 47 seconds down on runner-up Gannon.

Martinez paid a little for a slower start than Gannon,
but she finished much stronger and might have overhauled her rival had that
late charge come a little sooner.

In the ‘B Race’, Dean Burnside (Island Wheelers) came out on top after a very tight scrap for victory. He won by just two seconds from Barry Russell (Carn Wheelers) after 50 minutes of racing over six laps. David McKee of VC Glendale was 3rd.