Teenager Harvey takes impressive win on tough night at Nutts Corner

*Dean Harvey had great legs and leaned on all his off-road skills to win on a technical course in the rain (Photo: Toby Watson)*

Dean Harvey has put in a very impressive ride to take victory at Nutts Corner just outside Belfast this evening.

While the VC Glendale junior rider was hunted down by some of the best riders in the country - and a comeback man with a big palmares - he was too strong and won solo in the Kinnings Cycles promotion.

Dean, and his
brother Lee, have been emerging on the domestic scene in recent years and this
evening as an important juncture for them; both placing against top opposition
and coming away with the win.

On a sodden night for the first round in the new Kinning Cycles Series, eventual winner Harvey started in the A3 group and rode away from them, never to be seen by the opposition again.

*Lindsay Watson leads Chris McGlinchey in the chase but could not mop up those who started ahead of them (Photo: Toby Watson)*

Ireland’s last
Rás Tailteann winner, Stephen Gallagher, is on the comeback trail and he was to
the fore in chasing the lone leader.

Gallagher (Orchard Shelbourne) had started 1:15 behind Harvey and though the former professional rider pressed the youngster all the way to the line, the gap was still 40 seconds at the finish.

William Callaghan (North Pole CC) was part of the group next on the road after Gallagher. He attacked that group and went solo, riding the last 15 minutes in his own and taking 3rd place, some 50 seconds down on the winner.

Ciaran Dixon (Team Type 1 Junior) took 4th place, the front of a group that finished 1:10 down on the winner, with Rowan Montgomery (Ballymoney CC) 5th, Chris Donald (Team Madigan) 6th, Lee Harvey (VC Glendale) 7th and Richard Topping (The Bike House CC) in 8th.

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Chris McGlinchey
(Vitus Pro) and Lindsay Watson
(Powerhouse Sport), who were off scratch, got to within 1:22 of the winner on
the line.

But they had to be content with 9th and 10th on the night while Luke Joyce (The Bike House CC), who was with McGlinchey and Watson, was 11th.

In the women's race, Sharon Bird (Ballymena RC) took victory after 30 minutes of racing by three seconds from Erin Creighton (McConvey Cycles), with Darcey Harkness (Carn Wheelers) in 3^rd place a further four seconds back.

Emma Smith (Deeside Thistle) finished in 4^th place, on the same time as Harkness. Rachel White (North down CC) was 5^th, some 41 seconds down on winner Bird, and Grace Smith (TC Racing) finished in 6^th place at 53 seconds.

In the A4 race VC Glendale got a second win, via Chris Oakley, on a
night when the weather was so bad that both races were shortened a little.

Oakley took victory from Karl Love (Phoenix CC) and Andy Ross, who made it a 1-3 on a great night for Belfast club VC Glendale.