(By Shay O'Toole - Sun. 1st November 2015) Cyclocross racing brings smiles to spectators and participants alike and the foggy sunrise over Lough Ennell set the ball rolling from the start. Course preparation for Round 1 of the Lakeside Wheelers Cyclocross league started at 7.30am on Sunday morning at Ladestown. The merry band of warriors followed course designer, Steven Franzoni around the shoreline like the “Pied Piper” pushing stakes into the ground and wrapping seemingly endless amounts of tape to mark out the course that, it appeared, only clear in Steve’s mind. The result however, was a challenging circuit which would later prove to be a true test for all competitors later in the morning. Even though this event was advertised late in the week, we had a good turnout across all categories. First off, were our younger bike fiends. We had four underage races covering Under 6, Under 8, Under 10 and Under 12/14. These were held over the short course, with the Under 12/14 tackling the main circuit on the second lap. A lot of tired and happy young riders came across the line at the end of each event. Next up was the ‘Have A Go’ or novice event which does exactly as it says on the tin. Again we had a good number taking part and judging by the comments afterwards, we believe we will see bigger numbers at the next event once the word starts to spread. There is no special equipment required for this event, any sort of bike with “knobbly” tyres and you are good to go! Last up for the day was the combined Under 16/Junior/Senior race. By all accounts this was a hotly contested race but from my vantage point at the back of the bunch it was torture! The course weaved in and out across varying terrain covering the lake-shore, rocky roadways, grassland, drop-offs, testing single track climbs and back around to the Start / Finish area, where the spectators cheered on the riders on for the 45 minutes plus one lap of racing. This is a really enjoyable family event, which is well worth trying out so keep an eye on this space and https://www.facebook.com/LakesideWheelersCX for more details on Round 2 coming up at the end of this month. Thanks to all who participated and especially our supporters: Westmeath Sports Partnership, Outdoor Escape, Wilfs Menswear, Bell Lane Coffee, Westmeath County Council and finally, Joe Duffy for the photographs.  Have A Go Event 1st Adrian Carroll Tullamore Cycling & Touring Club Junior / U16 1st David Boyne Lakeside Wheelers Ladies 1st Bridget Boyle TC Racing - Oldcastle Cycling Club Senior 1st Alan Clogher TC Racing - Oldcastle Cycling Club 2nd Jonny Boyle TC Racing - Oldcastle Cycling Club 3rd Richie Lenehan Lakeside Wheelers  Dara Caffrey in action in Sunday's Cyclocross event |
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