Max power from John to win veterans' contest

Sunday, October 12, 2014
Ballymena Road Club – Chain Reaction Cycles – Chairman John Maxwell, from Cromkill Road has won the club’s veterans’ time trial best all-rounder competition for the 2014 season.

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. 
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.

John’s best performances in the Northstone sponsored series of club races for the 2014 season were: 10 miles, 25 minutes 35 seconds on 27th August at Woodgreen. This beat his age standard for a 64 year old by 5 minutes 10 seconds. 
John’s 25 miles time was 65 minutes 41 seconds, which was recorded on 4th June in the Combat Cancer cup event on the Woodgreen, Dunsilly, Ballee course. This beat his standard time by 12 minutes 39 seconds.
At 50 miles John clocked 2 hours 12 minutes 12 seconds in the Sam McQuigg cup event on 25th June, again on the A26 Woodgreen circuit. 
This was the decisive time for John as he beat standard by a massive 30 minutes 25 seconds.
When all three times are added up his winning total is plus 48 minutes 14 seconds.
Sean Wright finished second with + 45 minutes 31 seconds while Martin Ruddy was third with + 34.54 (4) Tommy Wilson + 34.05
John also finished eighth in the time trial handicap league in 2014.

History of the Henderson cup.
Bobby Currie won the competition during its first season in 1999, and also in 2000, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2011 and 2012.
Sammy Kerr won for the first time in 2002 and 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. 
Last year Michael Carroll became the first rider, other than Bobby Currie and Sammy Kerr to win when 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.
John Maxwell and the other perpetual trophy winners will receive their awards at the club’s annual prize presentation dinner which is scheduled for Leighinmohr house hotel on Friday 21st November 2014.