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| UWA Road Race League 11th June 2011 |
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Gill & Brice Take Win in the Sportactive League
On Saturday 11th June Dromara Cycling Club hosted the Emma McMullan Trophy & Ronnie Smyth Trophy open road races around the 15-mile Magheraknock circuit. They also held a round of the Sportactive UWA road race league on the same testing course. In previous years the race was held over a shorter 8-mile course that really could be described as flat. However due to the poor road condition along apart of the previous course, Dromara CC decided to change things in the interest of rider safety. As a result this year's longer course had plenty of rolls to test all riders and surprised many who thought it was going to be flat. There was a good turnout of riders including many of those who had recently completed the Rás Dhun na nGall, so this course may have seem flat in comparison to the Donegal roads.
A bonus for all riders - the weather was quite pleasant for a change.
The race was started with a small limit group gaining three minutes on scratch, consisting of Gillian Orr (Ards CC), Heather Gould (Ards CC), Martina Elliott (Phoenix CC), Dawn Gregg (Spires CC) and Karen Hull (Phoenix CC). It was good to see these new riders having a go at racing.
Scratch soon got underway, but a tractor they had caught up to was soon hampering the group. Eager to press on, some of the women made it past the tractor when it was safe to do so, but a few riders got held up.
 However in true sporting fashion, the rest of the group up ahead slowed the pace and allowed all the riders to get back together once the tractor had turned off the main road.Things stayed together until the race turned onto the Magheraknock Road, when Kathleen Croal (Bohermeen CC) was first to feel the pressure and loose touch with the group. Therese Smyth (Phoenix CC) also had a bit of a scare when she slipped her chain near the top of one of the hills, however she remained calm got the chain on, and immediately started her chase eventually making it back to the group.
As the race turned on the Upper Ballynahinch Road, the scratch and limit groups came together, and stayed together for the majority of the last lap, showing the strength and determination of the new riders.
It was Geraldine Gill (Bohermeen) who launched the first really decisive attack on one of the steeper drags, gaining herself
 an impressive gap. There was an immediate reaction in the bunch, which caused the first real splits to occur, however Gill was proving tough to reel in.After three miles of chasing from Mandy Collie (Team Basso Today), Hannah Francis (Bikeworks) and Julie Mulligan (Omagh Wheelers), Gill was eventually caught, and everyone started watching each other.
There was only one really testing section of the course left, the drag up past The Pheasant Restaurant just coming on to the Glebe Road. All the remaining riders made it over this together, so it was looking most likely to be a sprint finish.
Coming to the line it was two up sprint between Geraldine Gill (Bohermeen) and Amy Brice (Phoenix CC). However they crossed the line together and it was too close to call, so it was decided to award both riders with joint first. Mandy Collie (Team Basso Today) took third, Julie Mulligan (Omagh Wheelers) fourth and Mary Hunter of the home club Dromara CC fifth.  Many thanks must go Dromara CC for running this event as part of the Sportactive UWA road race league. It was a well-organised and safe race with marshalls to be seen at all junctions round the entire 15-mile course, signs and warnings to drivers about the race on local radio. A full update of current Sportactive UWA road race league points and standings will follow.
Women's Results* |
| Last Updated on Tuesday, 28 February 2012 09:33 |
