The racing season – so far

by · 31st May 2003

Plenty of Swords Jerseys on view in the early season with Sean & Keith featuring well. Indeed all our riders have been prominent in the combined V/J/S3 races culminating with Mick Rock taking a bronze in the Leinster RR C/ships and the Vets Team with Sean & Anto. Niall added to his collection with the U14 bronze and Jason Ludgate took the Gold with a magnificent display in the C Race and followed this up with 2nd in our own Kathleen O’Sullivan Memorial Race.

At U/age Sean overcame his recent run of bad luck to take his first win of the season at U16 in Mullingar, when he escaped from the bunch and put 2 minutes into them on the last lap.

Our tri-athletes have some great results (apart from dominating in our Club League Time Trials!!!). Brian Crinion had an early season win in the Limerick Duathlon and Caroline after having a go and winning at an open race in Stamullen, who continued to dominate the female Tri -scene with wins in the Limerick & Joey Hannon Triathlons. Indeed in Limerick only two males finished in front of her !!!!!! . Her latest outing was representing Ireland in the U23 Four Country C/ships in Derry on the 24th May. She was entered in the U23 event but her time was good enough to take both the U23 and Overall Ladies titles.

Plenty of results in the IVCA races where we have placed first & second on three occasions starting with some good teamwork from Sean & Anto. Mick Rock has been outstanding all season , twice posting ‘fastest on the night’ times in IVCA TT’s and getting a win on the Road at the Boot Inn. Fred looked like he was going to take the Vets league by storm, with back to back wins after working hard on his sprint (and after much advise from Sean!!!), until he took a bad spill in a Swords league race when his chain hopped off and jammed. He’s well on the mend but joins a broken collar bone ‘support club’ of Roger Tegart & Colm Stafford who also took spills recently. Special mention to Liam Maguire, rarely out of the top three, got the win last wed week after bursting clear into the wind with Paddy Griffen taking sprint from the chasers. And a fine win for Sean Lally in the biggest, craziest bunch sprint I have ever experienced last Tuesday in Ashbourne!!!!!!! Also well done to Swords ‘adoptee’ Aidan Hammond for his fine Overall Victory in the Corkman3-Day!!!!