National Time Trial Championships, Navan

National Time Trial Championships, Navan (June 28th 2002, courtesy Gerry McManus)

Mick Rock and myself represented the club at this event, run over 1 lap of the Meath Grand Prix circuit, distance 43km – the official UCI TT standard. On a breezy evening, over a very very difficult course the vets title went to Sean Bracken (Usher IRC), with Jim Cassisdy (DPC First Legal) 2nd and Mark Birney (Maryland Wheelers) in third place. I finished 4th. 12 sec down on Birney with Mick Rock 6th. 30 sec was all that separated 2nd, 3rd & 4th, so the competition was quite close making it disappointing to finish just outside the medals. Times in both Senior & Vets categories were relatively slow due to the distance and severity of the course. David McCann who won the senior event had just come off a 20 min 10 the previous week and won as he liked in 56 min. Only two seniors (both pros) broke the hour, while Sean Bracken won the vets title in a time of 1:05, while he had won an IVCA TT the previous week in 58 minutes.

Times are all relative, so we shouldn’t be put off by the super fast times we read week in week out in the Cycling Weekly from the North and Britain. Anyway , Mick Rock said he hadn’t enjoyed an hour on the bike as much in years (The Savage), and the sandwiches weren’t half bad either, so maybe we’ll be back next year!!

Next stop , the Isle of Mann on the 14th July for Cycling Week, where I take part in a 10, a 25 a 2-up with ‘nearly’ Swords man Aidan Hammond. I will also take part in the Vets Road Race run over the Motorcycle TT course – something to look forward to!!!!!!!