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Post date: Jul 25, 2016 2:9:50 PM
(By Shay O'Toole - Sun. 24th July 2016)
On Sunday last our near neighbours at Shannonside Cycling Club hosted their first ever open race on a 33km circuit just west of Athlone. A full programme of races was on the cards with all categories, except youths, catered for. The organisers commissioned a new perpetual cup for the A1/A2 race in memory of the late Pat Coyle who died suddenly whilst attending the Tour of Flanders in Belgium last spring. Pat was a Shannonside stalwart and a friend to many in Lakeside Wheelers also.
The new race attracted a large entry with a big contingent from Lakeside Wheelers making the short journey over the Shannon to compete. The big success story of the day was a real family affair with Aidan Gorry and daughter Nicole winning in their respective races. In the A4 event Aidan crossed the line in first place after a bunch sprint decided the two lap (66km) race. This was a fine victory and well deserved so congratulations to Aidan. What made his win all the sweeter was the fact that his daughter Nicole was also in the same race as there was no separate ladies event. Not to be outdone by her dad, or maybe even inspired by him, Nicole did extremely well to finish 13th overall and so, took the Ladies prize. This completed a brilliant family performance and one which will surely be remembered in the Gorry household for some time. Nicole was on international duty recently with the Irish junior track team and a full report on this event will be included in next week’s notes.
Roy Carey recieves his prize from Jim Maguire, Shannonside CC
Lakeside Wheelers were also well represented in the A3 race with Brendan Kiernan and Roy Carey in the line-up. This event was run off over three laps (99km) and after a hard fought race, a two-up sprint decided the spoils with the bunch crossing the line a mere 10 seconds behind. Roy rode a fantastic race to finish sixth overall so hopefully this form will continue and he will get even closer in some of the end of season races over the coming weeks.
Nicole Gorry recieves her prize from Jim Maguire, Shannonside CC
Wheelers compete in Poland
This week the club is once again represented on the international scene with three members taking on the Sudety Mountain Bike Challenge in Poland. Richie Lenihan, Paul Crowley and Pete Rimmer are all very experienced MTB riders but this 6-stage event through forest and mountain trails will definitely test their bike handling skills and endurance. Best of luck to each of them and hopefully we will have a race report on their exploits in a week or so.
Youths Racing
It is practically impossible to keep tracks of the Youths racing section over the last few weeks due to the hectic schedule they are involved in. However, one thing that is clear is their commitment and dedication to their sport. Every weekend there is a Lakeside Wheelers team competing somewhere in Ireland and more often than not there is a haul of medals or trophies to be brought home. It is hoped to get a detailed update for inclusion in the notes in the coming weeks.
Brendan Kiernan, Aidan Gorry, Nicole Gorry and Roy Carey at the Shannonside GP
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