Northern Ireland Cycling Federation Cups

Saturday, February 20, 2016
BALLYMENA Road Club Chairman Paul Murdoch has said the club is over-whelmed to be asked to put on display the Northern Ireland Cycling Federation Cups in their Rex Bonar clubrooms. 

Some of the Cups were for NICF Road Race Champion, Cochrane Cup for BAR Champion, Junior and Senior Time Trial and Track Cups for distances from 10 miles through to 1,000  yards championship.

The NICF were a breakaway from the NCA ; that happened in 1949 and who also formed an association with the British Cycling Federation and who later in 2007 the NICF amalgamated with Cycling Ulster and switched their affiliation from British Cycling to Cycling Ireland.

Maurice Foster, himself a good friend of Ballymena Road Club and top cyclist, not only in Ireland but in Britain, first raced in the 1950’s as a young boy.

In the 1960’s Maurice was a dominant force on the road and track setting many records along the way. 

He took a Stage win in the 1966 British Milk Race before winning the Tour of Ireland.

Maurice went on to race in the Commonwealth Games, Olympic Games and World Championships before later managing the Northern Ireland Commonwealth Games and Ireland teams. 

Big Mo. as he is known, was inducted into Irish Cycling’s Hall of Fame and then he received his MBE in the Queen’s 80th birthday. 

Alan Mark, a long time friend and former, used to say  that when Maurice turned up at a race "you were in for a hard day in the saddle”