2014 Commenwealth Games - Ryan Connor

Monday, April 22, 2013
Ballymena Road Club member Ryan Connor has been selected to act as team manager for the Northern Ireland cycling team which will compete at next year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Ryan took part in the 2006 games in Melbourne which saw the Melbourne cricket ground host 100,000 people for the opening and closing ceremonies. Ryan took part in the 40 kilometre individual time trial where he finished sixteenth. The rider in seventeenth place that day was a certain Christopher Clive Froome (Kenya) who was second in the 2012 Tour DeFrance. Ryan also took part in the road race and finished 28th.
Ryan said "I am very proud to represent my country. I have always loved the Commonwealth Games so to have competed in it as an athlete and now have the chance to manage in it means a lot not just to me but also to everyone who has helped me in my cycling career.
It's also a great boost for Ballymena which continues to get athletes and managers consistently to the Games. We will be really up against it as it is the week after the Tour de France and the likes of Mark Cavendish, David Millar and Bradley Wiggins could all be involved as well as the usually formidable Australian squad, but Northern Ireland cyclists have a great record at the Commonwealths so hopefully we can upset the odds again and bring home a medal"
 Over the years Ballymena cyclists who have been selected to compete at the Commonwealth games have included Sammy Kerr, Ronnie Grant, Billy Kerr, Andrew Moss and of course Ryan Connor.