Breandan & St Louis Are School Champions

Monday, August 19, 2013
Ballymena Road Club – Chain Reaction Cycles – held their annual Ballymena schools cycling championship at Broughshane last Monday evening.
The event was very well supported with three schools in the borough represented as well as four other schools from outside the town, and they produced some very close racing with only seconds separating the leaders on each stage.
All who took part were eligible for prizes on the night, although it is only those who attend a Ballymena school or who are a member of BRC who can win the actual championship title.
Each of the three stages had a different winner with Breandan McCavana (St Louis) fastest in the 3.1 miles time trial, which took place over the Caherty road Aghnadore road and Rathkeel road circuit. Breandan recorded 8 minutes 35 seconds to beat second placed, visiting rider, Shea McTaggart (Loreto) by 1 second. Caolan Stuart (St Louis) was third with 8 minutes 52 seconds.
The one lap 3.1 miles road race, held over the same course, saw the riders set out with five different starting handicaps. Brian McAuley (St Pauls Kilrea) led until half way round the lap before being caught by the scratch group.
Seven riders were together for the sprint finish with Shea McTaggart winning the gallop by a clear two seconds gap, in a time of 8 minutes 26 seconds. Shay Donley (Cambridge House) took second with Caolan Stuart third. (4) Breandan McCavana (5) Eoin Mellon (6) Shaun Byrne (7) Fergus Byrne all at 2 seconds (8) Isaac McAuley (9) Caleb Dempsey both at 21 seconds (10) Hayden Ritchie at 33 seconds (11) Brian McAuley at 1 minute 51 seconds.
The final stage was a hill climb from Aghnadore road up the Caherty road hill. This time it was the turn of Caolan Stuart to win the stage. He recorded 1 minute 27 seconds with Shea McTaggart second with 1 minute 28 seconds and Ballymena Academy’s Caleb Dempsey third on 1 minute 30 seconds.
McTaggart was fastest on aggregate time with 18 minutes 30 seconds but it was second placed Breandan McCavana on 18.36 who has the honour of winning the Greer trophy for his school – St Louis Ballymena. Caolan Stuart (St Louis) was third overall with 18.47. McCavana and Stuart won the Brian Russell inter schools trophy for St Louis with a combined time of 37 minutes 23 seconds.
The other overall individual placings were: (4) Shaun Byrne (St Benedict’s, Randalstown) 19.20 (5) Shay Donley (Cambridge house) 19.39 (6) Caleb Dempsey (Ballymena Academy) 19.44 (7) Fergus Byrne (St Benedict’s) 19.54 (8) Eoin Mellon (St Pauls Kilrea) 20.01 (9) Hayden Ritchie (Academy) 21.08 (10) Isaac McAuley (St Marys Magherafelt) 21.24 (11) Brian McAuley (St Pauls) 24.50