North Down GP - Report

Thursday, April 18, 2013
Saturday’s race action was promoted by North Down cycling club at Donaghadee. Ballymena didn’t place any riders in the top ten of the main A1 A2 event but they did see Claire Gillespie take eighth place in the women’s race.
 
It was a very eventful day, one which certainly saw the commissaires, first aid and emergency services working overtime.
 
The A3 race started fast and when two riders – Ian Inglis (Curran) and Connor McAteer (Bann Valley) - broke clear and actually caught the A1 A2 event their race had to be stopped and re-started.
Unfortunately there was a crash at the finish of the A4 race and the injured riders needed medical attention. This resulted in the approach to the finish line being congested with first aid vehicles and helpers.
The commissaires decided it was too dangerous a theatre to conduct the finish of the A3 race and they were stopped again. There were eleven riders in the leading group, including Ballymena’s Michael Carroll and Connor Young, so they missed out on race honours right at the end of their event. It is always best to apply the "safety first” rule and it seems to have been the correct decision. They had some consolation when the commissaires agreed to award the eleven riders three points each in their quest for licence upgrades.  
 
North Down GP 2013 Results
 
A Race – A1/A2 Riders
(1) Fraser Duncan (Eurocycles) (2) James McMaster (Curran Racing) (3) Bryan McCrystal (Cuchullain)
 
Sport Active Women’s RR League
(1) Claire Oakley (XMTB) (2) Roisin Kennedy (Adamstown) (3) Judith Russell (Phoenix) (8) Claire Gillespie (Ballymena Chain Reaction Cycles)