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Post date: May 01, 2016 5:10:28 PM
(By Philip Wade - Sun 1st May 2016)
Lakeside Wheelers youth team travelled to Cork this weekend for the Youth Kanturk. Philip Wade has sent us this report from the weekend's action...
Day One
Day1 down and what a day it was, never short of challenges, drama and fun. This is an especially tough weekend where the distances are up on the average around the country and the hills are a big challenge. Day1 started out with a road race in the morning followed by a TT in the afternoon. In the Under 12’s we had Aoife O’Brien who knocked it out of the park again by coming 1st girl and giving the lads a run for their money. Caoimhe O’Brien came in 1st Under 14 girl and finished in the lead bunch sprint with the Under 14 boys ( they should be getting worried) , they continue to fly the flag high for the club.
In the Under 16 race we had Conor, Aaron and Sean. Conor had a fantastic result getting away in the top 15 on a break after about 10K and they were away for the race. He was in the top 5 of the Under 15s in that break and continues to perform strong. Unfortunately, Sean and Aaron had mechanicals and after falling out of the main bunch struggled to get back in. Sean got a puncture within 1Km of the start. We got a wheel on and I witnessed the best chase back to the main group I have seen outside pro riding ever. Unfortunately getting back into the group so early in the race at high speed cost him lots of calories and he over spent which ultimately he would pay the price for later by getting dropped off the group. As they say “every day is a school day” , we were all reminded of the importance of “rim tape” !. Missing rim tape on wheels ultimately cost him the puncture. Aaron also had a mechanical where his back wheel was not on tight 100% and as soon as the hill breaks started his wheel dislodge under duress and he had to get off twice to fix the wheel and could not get back into the group as they raced up the main climb on the course. Unfortunately 2 unnecessary mechanicals that we need to ensure we avoid in the future.
Overall , we have 5 great riders flying the flag for the club that we are very proud of. Team support for the day was Eamonn, Damien, Noel, Jean, Breda , Camillus, Naomi and Phil.
The tough uphill section of the Kanturk course.
Day Two
Day2 brought on some serious challenges for the youth racing team with the Under 12 doing over 10Km, Under 14s more than 23Km and the Under 16s 70Km. The main challenge on the course was the finish which was a 500m climb out of the town and slowed the best of the best. A finish that ensured only the toughest were placed.
Again Aoife O’Brien delivered with a fantastic 5th position finish and 1st Girl over all the weekend in the Under 12s. Caoimhe was 1st Under 14 over the weekend but denied prizes due to Under 16 girls also allowed to ride the Under 14 races. However, she is well placed going into the summer and with Nationals in sight!
In the Under 16’s Conor Farrell delivered again with a 15th place in the bunch sprint and 5th Under 15 over all. A great performance over the weekend. Sean was denied a solid finish today by the puncture daemons. He punctured on the second lap and while he got within a 400m of the main bunch it was too windy for a lone rider to make good ground. Aaron struggled to find form this weekend and trailed off the back , looking forward to some rest and recuperation over the coming weeks.
In the end the Lakeside youth had a solid presence in one of the biggest youth races in the country and delivered some great results. We had a few mechanicals and set-backs but “that is racing”. Cycling will always have a bit of drama and things will not always go to plan but we will dust off, learn and plan for the next weekend out ..
The Support team for day two was Naomi , Damien, Noel , Jean, Breda , Camillus, & Phil.
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