Bellaghy event will help to keep junior tour alive

Monday, February 9, 2015
Sean McNicholl of Church Island cycling club in Bellaghy organised last Saturday’s sportive event from the village as a fund raiser for the 2015 International Junior Tour of Ireland.
The junior tour has been running since 1978, when Martin Early was the overall winner. Martin went on to enjoy a very successful professional career which included a stage win in the 1989 Tour de France and also a stage win in the Giro d’Italia.
Ballymena Road Club’s Andrew Moss won the junior tour in 1986 and he was one of the participants adding his support to Saturday’s fund raiser. 
The event has a marvelous history with many of today’s star riders having competed in the race. Names such as 1998 world junior road race champion Mark Scanlon (winner 1998) Bradley Wiggins, Mark Cavendish, Philip Deignan, Nicolas Roche (winner 2002) and Daniel Martin have all taken part.
However there was a real danger that this year’s race wouldn’t go ahead this year because of a lack of funding, so a series of Sportives have been organised in Ireland to help secure its future.
BRC Secretary Hazel Hughes was one of the participants "There were three routes  - a 30 mile loop which took in Bellaghy to Portglenone then to Kilrea. The short run then went to Upperlands, Maghera Knockloughrim, Hillhead and back to Bellaghy. The 50 miles medium run went to Coleraine after Kilrea and then back along main road to Garvagh and Maghera. The 75 miles long run went to Coleraine, Limavady Dungiven and Maghera.”
"The event was very well organised with back up mechanical and medical support. There was coffee beforehand, soup and sandwiches afterwards. They even organised a tailwind home! They called Andrew Moss and Mark Scanlon to the front before the start.  From BRC there were Patsy McGurk, Derek Dougan, Bobby Stewart, Neill Kerr, Andrew Moss and myself taking part. Joan McCullough was there too, helping with the first aid. There was excellent back up and support vehicles. The roads were all well marked and we were given a free water bottle, gel and energy bar.”  
"Clemens Frankheuser, an Austrian on Team Hrinkow Advarics cycling team, who won the Ras Tailteann in 2014, was also there. He got stuck in a snow storm in Croatia but was determined to make it to Bellaghy, via Zagreb, to attend the event. He only arrived in Dublin late Friday night. So well done to Clemens as well – what an effort!”