Finish at Broughshane is Taylor made for Karl

Sunday, June 15, 2014
Ballymena Road Club – Chain Reaction Cycles – held their annual Sammy Connor cup road race, as part of the Northstone sponsored club race series, at Broughshane last Wednesday night.
Thirty two riders lined up at Houston’s mill and they were all set off together in a mass start, non-handicapped group.
There were numerous attacks during the three laps of the "Sheddings” circuit with veteran Tommy Wilson in the lead for over one lap before being re-caught.
Simon Taggart led narrowly after the climb from the Sheddings on the last lap but he too was re-caught at the Beech trees on the final approach to the Broughshane finish, where Karl Taylor came past decisively and held off the sprinting pack to win the race.
This was Karl’s first club road race win and he picked a great event to register that first victory in, as he will wear the Ballymena Road Club road race champion’s jersey next season.
Ryan Bankhead, who dominated the club’s scratch road racing three race mini-series earlier in the season, had to be content with second place this time out while veteran Alan Blair registered an excellent third place. Best of the ladies was Eileen Burns, who rode strongly throughout the 33 miles event, and finished seventh.

Results (1) Karl Taylor 1 hour 18 minutes 42 seconds (2) Ryan Bankhead (3) Alan Blair (4) Quinton McFall (5) Gary Reid  (6) Stephen Smyth (7) Eileen Burns (8) Simon Taggart (9) Ryan Shaw (10) Hall Booth (11) Stephen Dempsey (12) Claire Gillespie (13) Martin Ruddy (14) Richard Reid (15) George Graham (16) Jason Burns (17) Nigel Kernohan (18) Neil Millar (19) Adam Torrie (20) John Shaw (21) Clifford Grant (22) Colin Scullion (23) Daryl Sempey (24) Breandan McCavana (25) Ryan Currie (26) Matthew Brennan (27) Tommy Wilson (28) David Dougan (29) Emma Smyth (30) Derwood Ritchie all same time 1 hour 18 minutes 42 seconds.