On Sunday 26 March 2023 Kinning Cycles hosted the Spring mountain bike race at Ormeau Park in Belfast. This is the second year that the host club has ran a cross-country race at this site. The weather in the lead up to the race was wet and the conditions were quite muddy. The weather on race day stayed dry and mild. There was a full range of races from Under 6s to Seniors. The start/finish was on the gravel pitch. Riders from Under 14s and up had a tricky last second on a grass bank before the finish line. Challenging for the riders but very entertaining for the spectators!
There was a big group of riders in the Under 6s race with 15 lined up for their one lap. This has to be the most enjoyable race of the day to watch. Well done to all the riders for completing the course.
The Under 8s had 4 laps of the same course. Leading from start to finish was Conor McGahan (Square Wheels) with Charlie White (Belfast City BMX Club) finishing second and Rory McCullough (Un-Attached Ulster) third in the boys’ race. In the girls’ race
Ríonach Campbell (Square Wheels) was first with Sophia Campbell (Phoenix CC) second and Ciara McCool (Square Wheels) third.
The Under 10s had a longer course and had 2 laps to complete. At the front of the race was Jack McGahan (Square Wheels), first boy, with Aoife Campbell (Square Wheels), first girl, lying second overall. Jake McKee (VC Glendale) and Leo Gallagher (Shelbourne/Orchard CC) completed the podium for the boys, taking second and third respectively. Joining Aoife on the podium was
Amelia Finnegan (Square Wheels), second, and Emily McClintock (Lisburn BMX Club) third.
The Under 12s were up next. They had 4 laps of their own course to complete. Powering around the course was Eunan Campbell (Square Wheels) who lead from start to finish. Rory McCool (Square Wheels) was second with William Sunderland (Lisburn BMX Club) finishing third. Sophie Baxter (Lisburn BMX Club) was the only girl in this race.
After a break for podium presentations and course practice it was the turn of the Under 14s, Under 16s and Women to race. The groups were started on individual whistles and had different number of laps to complete. In the Under 14 boys’ race Caleb McGreevy (VC Glendale) was well out in front of the other Under 14s and was chasing down the leading Under 16 boy. Corran McCourt (VC Glendale) and Lewis Walker (Lisburn BMX Club) completed the podium for the Under 14 boys taking second and third respectively. There were only two girls in the Under 14s race with Emer Heverin (Kinning Cycles Cycling Club) finishing comfortably ahead of Maeve McCool (Square Wheels). James Armstrong (VC Glendale) lead the Under 16 boys’ race across 6 laps. Adam Matt (Banbridge CC) finished second. Harry Hobbs (VC Glendale) pulled out of the race after 3 laps with a mechanical issue. There were only two women in this race with Darcey Harkness (VC Glendale) finishing clear of Caroline Martinez (Chain Reaction Cycles).
The final race of the day was for the Senior men with two groups lining up, Men’s A (18 riders) and Men’s B (28 riders). In the B’ race Cameron McFarland (Team Caldwell Cycles) took the win ahead of seasoned riders Scott Maitland (Killinchy Cycling Club) and David Neil Armstrong (VC Glendale) who finished second and third respectively. Sean McCourt (VC Glendale) was fourth with Stuart Best fifth and Gerard Curran (Tir Chonaill Gap CC) sixth.
In the Men’s A race Lee Clarke (Shelbourne/Orchard CC) lead from start to finish. Lee Harvey (Spellman-Dublin Port) had been holding onto second place until lap 4 of 8 and then dropped back out of podium places. Chris Oakley (Chain Reaction Cycles) was in fourth for the first half of the race but a dramatic last lap gave him a deserved second place. Barry Convery (Newry Wheelers CC) finished third with Graham Boyd (McConvey Cycles) fourth and Lee Harvey fifth. David O’Neill (Inspired Cycling) finished sixth and took the first unplaced M40 prize. Declan McEntee (Emyvale CC) took the first unplaced M50 and Tom Russell (Inspired Cycling) got the first unplaced Junior.
Many thanks to all those who helped set up and run the event. We don’t have another Ulster cross-country race confirmed for Ulster but there are some possibilities we are waiting on confirmation for. Keep an eye out of www.ulsterxc.com for details.
Commissaire: Martin Grimley
Results here