It's been yet another busy week for Orwell members, from provincial champs to a World Cup, and everything in between! Anne Dalton's bronze medal with Katie-George Dunlevy was the highlight of the week, while Liam Rowsome took silver on Wednesday in the Leinster TT, and John Twomey sprinted for bronze on Sunday, delivering his well-earned upgrade to A3.
This week we'll cover things chronologically, starting last Tuesday, on a wet and cold evening in Corkagh Park. A single handicap race saw a five-strong B bunch get a half-lap headstart over eleven A riders. Rather than a simple road race, points were awarded for sprints throughout, with Emily Birchall dominating, scooping 18 points overall. Birchall rides with the Neenan Travel Talent Team 2020 squad, which is coached by our own Orla Hendron. Charlotte MacDonald repeated her performance from the previous round to once again collect a well-won fourth place prize, only beating Emily-Ann Dyole (Naas) in the final sprint placings.
Orwell were instrumental in the running again, and it was great to see tribute being paid to the efforts of Celeste, Deirdre, Lloyd, David H, Dick, Fionn and Jeni for coming out and hosting the race on such a miserable night.
Charlotte leading UCD's Niamh Stephens and Fiona Guihen (Navan)
Wednesday saw slightly better conditions for the Cúchulainn CC-promoted Leinster 25m TT Championships. Taking place over the 2013 National Champs route, the 25m was out and back, with a few bends, and one tight turn. While local man Bryan McCrystal blitzed the field with a 54:04 time, our own tester Liam Rowsome put in a blistering time of 1:01:20 to tale the second A3 prize behind recent Boyne GP winner Ben Delaney (Wexford Wheelers).
Rowsome consistently places well in TTs, and was top Semi-scratch man in the Pine Forest TT league opener. Normally he posts his best times on flatter parcours, so he should be particularly proud of getting on the podium considering Wednesday's lumpy course.
Liam (at front, in red striped helmet) in Corkagh Park the night after the TT
Before the weekend kicked off, there was the small matter of the Paracycling World Cup events in Segovia in Spain. A new pairing of Anne Dalton with Katie-George Dunlevy was competing in their second ever race against 12 other teams, including the other Irish entry of Fran Meehan and Catherine Walsh. Dalton and Dunlevy posted a blistering time to earn the final spot on the podium (only 1'41" down), and bring home bronze medals for Ireland. To achieve this despite 30 degree heat is a fantastic feat, and is a very positive indicator for the pair's future.
Dalton and Dunlevy on the podium
With Saturday's Christy McManus cancelled due to road resurfacing, all the action was concentrated on Sunday. There was a large Orwell presence in Kildare for Newbridge CC's day of racing, but John Twomey got the result of the day, taking a superb third place behind a Kilcullen lead-out train, and earning his upgrade to A3.
The A4s were racing for the Ned Flanagan Cup, and there was a large bunch not letting any breaks go. Twomey made the strategic decision to sit in and wait for the sprint, moving up with 5km to go. Boxed in with 1km to go, he cannily managed to find a gap to squeeze through, but didn't have time to open his sprint fully and had to settle for third, though that's a placing of which he should still be proud!
An avid leisure cyclist and former junior racer, Twomey's been collecting the prizes since he started his comeback to racing with second place at the Dublin Wheelers GP at the start of March. He's featured in many bunch finishes, placing at both the Rás Naomh Finian and the Boyne GP. Reaching A3 has been his season's aim. so he can rest on his laurels now - but we suspect we'll see him in the saddle plenty before the end of the year!
Also competing in that bunch sprint were Paul Kane and Neil Whelan, who fought their corners to take fifth and eight respectively. For Kane, it's his first result of the season, while Whelan already recorded a third spot from the Dungarvan GP in May.
In the A3 Manzer Thackaberry Cup race, David Halpin opened his A3 account. After earning his upgrade with an excellent outright win at the Dunsany GP, he took fifth in a hairy sprint - "nerves of steel" was how another rider described Halpin's finish. It's a solid start for Halpin, showing he's well able to compete at A3 level.
Coming in just behind Halpin was Darragh Long for the NRPT squad. Although active throughout the race, the team couldn't prevent it coming down to the bunch finish. However, that didn't cost them many places, with both Long and Fintan Ryan finishing in the top ten. Most of the other Orwell riders were well up at the close, but outside the prizes.
Twomey accepting his prize
Last, but not least, Ronan Grimes took advantage of a trip that took him near Roscommon to take part in the Donamon Dynamos GP. Of a field of 90 riders, Grimes was the sole Orwell representative. He did the club proud though, battling his way to a sterling 4th place in the final gallop.
Adding the points from that result to his unreported* Loughrea GP 6th place, Grimes is now only two points off his upgrade, and judging by his activity in both open races and the club league, that'll happen very soon!
Grimes in action
Over the next few days, all eyes will be on Louth for the National Championships. Orwell have entrants in several events, and first off will be Rachel Glendon in the Elite Women's TT on Thursday evening. Glendon recently took bronze in the women's 10m TT Leinster Champs, a result that was overlooked amidst the June bank holiday excitement, but deserves recognition. Anne Dalton's Paracycling stoker KG Dunlevy is taking part in the Tandem TT, and we assume Dalton will be acting as pilot.
The Elite Women's Road Race will take place on Saturday, with Orwell fielding the largest team: Isabel Cogan, Orla Hendron, Ciara Kinch, Lucy Soden and Sandra Telford. Other notable names include Anne Dalton and Siobhán McNamara riding for DID Electrical, Michelle Geoghegan in her Endura Lady Force WW Zeeuws-Vlaanderen colours, and Lydia Boylan for Team CTC.
For the men, the Road Race is on Sunday, with four Orwell riders - Tom Blennerhassett, Diarmuid Collins, Aidan Collins and Eric Downey. They'll be facing defending champion Matt Brammeier, as well as Philip Lavery, several An Post riders, and the likes of the powerful AquaBlue and Eurocycles teams.
If racing isn't your thing, join us on Sunday in south Dublin for the annual Simpson's Hospital Charity Cycle. Kicking off at the hospital at 10.00 on Sunday morning, full details are available here.
*Our apologies, only the top three placings were released at the time of the race.
Corkagh Park Ladies Racing - R2
1 Emily Birchall (U15 unattached) - 18 points
2 Lyndsay O'Neill (Naas) - 15 points
3 Niamh Stephens (UCD) - 9 points
4 Charlotte MacDonald (Orwell) - 6 points
5 Emily Ann Doyle (Naas) - 6 points
6 Josie Knight (U16 Kanturk) - 1 point
Leinster 25m TT Championships
1 Bryan Mc Crystal (Cuchulainn) 54.04
2 Colm Quinn (Cuchulainn) 55.42
3 Kevin Lynch (Newry Wheelers) 55.46
...
10 Ben Delaney (Wexford Wheelers) 59.53 - 1st A3
...
16 Liam Rowsome (DTC Orwell Wheelers) 1.01.20 - 2nd A3
UCI Paracycling World Cup
Elite Women Tandem B - Time Trial
1 GREAT BRITAIN (Corinne HALL, Lora TURNHAM) 28:59.62
2 CANADA (Emilie ROY, Robbi WELDON) 29:45.19
3 IRELAND (Anne DALTON, Katie-George DUNLEVY) 30:40.64
...
12 IRELAND (Francine MEEHAN, Catherine WALSH) 33:01.53
Paddy Flanagan Cup
1 Javan Nulty (DID Dunboyne)
2 Bryan McCrystal (Cuchulainn)
3 Greg Swinand (Usher IRC)
4 Aaron O’Donoghue (South Dublin CC)
5 Tony Brady (Franco Racing)
6 Tim O’Regan (DID Dunboyne)
7 Stephen Halpin (Polygon Sweet Nice)
8 Chris Reilly (Bohermeen)
Unplaced A2s
1 John Dempsey (Carrick Iverk Produce)
2 James Davenport (SDCC)
3 Derek Cunningham (Bray Wheelers)
4 Michael Butler (Visit Nenagh)
5 Mark Kiernan (Kilcullen)
6 David Carroll (Usher IRC)
A3 Manzer Thackaberry Cup
1 Shane Treacy (Carlow)
2 Fintan Ryan (NRPT-Stardard Life)
3 Luke Maguire (Wexford Wheelers)
4 Hugh McMahon (DID Dunboyne)
5 David Halpin (Orwell)
6 Darragh Long (NRPT-Standard Life)
7 Jacob Baldwin (Clonard)
8 Philip Prenderville (Swords)
9 Adam Swirydowicz (Swords)
10 Alan Dunne Lucan
A4 Ned Flanagan Cup
1 Paul McKenna (Kilcullen)
2 Lukas Furman (Kilcullen)
3 John Twomey (Orwell)
4 Diarmuid Kavanagh (SERC)
5 Paul Kane (Orwell)
6 Paul Murphy (U/A)
7 Eoghan Connolly (Swords)
8 Michael Stafford (Wexford)
9 Neill Whelan (Orwell)
10 Ciaran Brennan (DUCC)
Donamon Dynamos/Budget Car Rental GP - A1/A2
1 Charles Prendergast (Cunga CC)
2 Pat Clarke (Castlebar CC)
3 Gary Sweetman (Stamullen/MDonnelly)
4 David Brennan (Castlebar CC)
5 David Whearty (StamullenMDonnelly)
6 John Kenny (Navan)
A3 / Junior
1 Ciaran Heneghan (Western Lakes CC)
2 Angus Fyffe (Omagh CC))
3 Gary McDonald Team DMG)
4 Ciaran Campbell (Drogheda)
5 Sean McInerney (Galway Bay)
6 Gerard Corcoran (Covey Wheelers)
A4 Race
1 Graham Beazley (Black Rose CC)
2 Aiden O’Grady (Burren CC)
3 Charlie Sheridan (Mullingar)
4 Ronan Grimes (Orwell)
5 Oliver White (Westport)
6 Lenny McManus (Drogheda)
