Michael Wins In Record Time

Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Michael Carroll has won the Ballymena Road Club – Chain Reaction Cycles – veterans’ time trial best all-rounder competition for the 2013 season.
This was the first time that sixty-one year old Michael, from Caherty Road, had taken part in the competition and his results were impressive.
Not only did Michael win, but he also set a new competition record time of "Plus” 1 hour 12 minutes 07 seconds for the three distances of 10, 25 and 50 miles. He is only the third rider to win this contest as, up until now, the honours have always been shared between Bobby Currie and Sammy Kerr.
The Henderson cup, for the veterans’ BAR, which was introduced for the 1999 season, is awarded to the rider with the best overall age standard performance. Bobby Currie won the competition in 2012 and on that first season, 1999, and also in 2000 and 2001 and then in 2002 Sammy Kerr won for the first time; Kerr was successful again in 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2008 and when Sammy won in 2009 it was with a record breaking performance of plus 71 minutes 10 seconds.
Each rider is given a universally recognised "par” or standard time for each distance depending on his or her age, and the one with the biggest overall accumulated total time is the winner.
Michael’s performances, in the Northstone sponsored series of club races, for the 2013 season were: 10 miles; 21 minutes 39 seconds registered on 10th July, in the Gardiner cup race at Woodgreen, this beat his age standard time by 8 minutes 23 seconds.
His 25 miles time was 55 minutes 26 seconds on 19th June in the Ernie Mark cup event on the Woodgreen, Dunsilly, and Ballee course. This beat his standard time by 21 minutes 11 seconds.
At 50 miles Michael clocked 1 hour 57 minutes 41 seconds at Woodgreen on 7th July, in the Ulster championship event. This was 42 minutes 33 seconds faster than his age standard and when all three times are added up his total is a record breaking plus 1 hour 12 minutes 07 seconds.
Jim Burns finished second with an overall total of "plus” 54 minutes 37 seconds while defending champion Bobby Currie was third with + 54.09.
(4) Ryan Currie + 42.45 (5) David Kennedy + 41.10 (6) John Maxwell + 40.28 (7) Tommy Wilson + 36.59 (8) Nigel Kernohan + 33.45 (9) Martin Ruddy + 29.10 (10) Adrian Kerr + 21.50 (11) Beresford Millar + 15.07
Michael and the other perpetual trophy winners will receive their awards at the club’s annual prize presentation dinner which is scheduled for Eaton Park on Friday 22nd November 2013.