Ryan can Bank on a winning sprint

Thursday, April 24, 2014
Ballymena Road Club – Chain Reaction Cycles – held their first club event in the Northstone sponsored series last Wednesday evening at Broughshane where round one of the scratch road race series took place on the Sheddings circuit.  
The weather conditions were perfect for the time of year and this encouraged a field of 33 riders for the main senior / junior two lap – 22 miles – race.
It was encouraging to see that, despite the fact that this was a mass start / non handicapped race, there was a group of 21 riders still together to contest the finishing sprint.
Ryan Bankhead produced his now customary strong finish to lead in the field a full length and a half ahead of Connor Young with Neil Millar in third place.
This leading group of riders were all timed home at 51 minutes 28 seconds.
The first group were all accounted for in the sprint but poor light conditions were to cause problems for the photo finish camera, which meant that the minor placings weren’t so easily determined. Nevertheless I have listed all the finishers, although not necessarily in the correct order.
The one lap – 11 miles – youth event was won by Shaun Byrne of Bann Valley in 32 minutes 40 seconds
(2) N Lawrence (Bann Valley)
(3) Caolan Stuart (BRC) 
(4) Fergus Byrne (BV) 
(5) Eoin Mellon (BV) 
(6) R Lawrence (BV) all 32.40 
(7) Joel McCavana (BRC) 34.25

Senior / Junior results. 
(1) Ryan Bankhead 51 minutes 28 seconds 
(2) Connor Young 
(3) Neil Millar 
(4) Gary Reid 
(5) Philip Morrison 
(6) Alan Blair 
(7) Michael Carroll 
(8) Ryan Shaw 
(9) G McNally (Bann Valley) 
(10) Matthew Brennan 
(11) Richard Reid 
(12) Clifford Grant 
(13) Sean Wright 
(14) Hall Booth 
(15) Jim Mc Connell 
(16) Tommy Wilson 
(17) Colin Scullion 
(18) Mark Wright 
(19) Jason Burns 
(20) Nigel Kernohan 
(21) Karl Taylor all same time 51 minutes 28 seconds

Eileen Burns Quinton McFall Daryl Sempey Breandan McCavana 52 minutes 50 seconds
Conor Crilly David Dougan Stephen Dempsey George Graham Leslie Balmer Laura Blair Youth 

Wednesday 30th April. Round two of the three race scratch road racing league will take place next Wednesday 30th April  and covers one lap, 16 miles, of the Ahoghill, Tully, Largy Road, Kilnock, Whitesides corner, Glebe road, Ahoghill course. The chief marshall for this race is Hall Booth and he will be assisted by Syd Stewart, Tommy Mairs, Stephen Dempsey, Claire Gillespie and John Shaw.
The scratch series will be concluded on 28th May when an 18 miles race starts at Slaght corner and completes two laps of the Caddy circuit. The Tommy Smyth cup goes to the overall winner after the three rounds.