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Stagg Cycles LCF Summer Festival Race
July 22-24 2003
The Stages
- Stage 1 - July 22: Phoenix Park
- Stage 2 - July 23: Batterstown (Drumree circuit), 43 miles
- Stage 3 - July 24: Batterstown (Mullagh circuit), 34 miles
Reporting by Shane Stokes
Stage 1 - July 22: Phoenix Park
Bracken sprints to victory
Usher IRC rider Colm Bracken won the opening leg of the three-day Stagg Cycles LCF Summer Festival race yesterday evening sprinting to victory at the end of the Phoenix Park circuit race. Bracken outgalloped French-based Englishman Ben Hallam (Dataphonics RT) North Kildare’s Simon Whelan and the rest of the main bunch to take a maximum fifteen points and will lead the race going into tonight’s second stage in Batterstown.
The junior veteran and women’s bunch led off the action at the start of the event benefiting from a one and a half minute head start over the senior 3 riders two and a half over the senior two group and a further minute over the senior 1 entrants. It took this latter group just three laps to reel in the senior 2 bunch with the charge mopping up the third cats just one lap later. Junior rider Keith Daly (McNally Swords) took the first prime on lap five and four laps later Orwell veteran Ronnie Brannigan put in a determined effort to take the second prime just before the field came together.
Several efforts were made by riders to go clear but the first significant move went with four laps to go. Nine riders opened up a lead over the main bunch amongst them Paul Doyle (Tilechoice) Whelan Healion and Bracken and this group put in a determined effort to stay clear. However the in-form Aidan Crowley had missed the move and his Cycleways Lee Strand team-mates Phil Finegan John Mason and Adrian Hedderman joined with several others to haul back the break and pave the way for a probable bunch finish.
Doyle’s team-mate Mark Colbert did what he could to scupper these plans jumping clear in a last-gasp solo effort as the bunch passed the finish line but he was soon hauled back. St. Tiernan’s rider Dylan Rafter then tried his luck but was similarly closed down. Bracken then bided his time before opening his sprint taking it ahead of Hallam Whelan Crowley and Moriarty and so moving into the lead in this points-based three day event.
The Stagg Cycles LCF Summer Festival race will continue at 7.30 this evening with a 42 mile race at Batterstown covering two laps of the Drumree/Green Sheds circuit. Thursday’s 43 mile concluding race is at the same venue also starting at 7.30 with the riders crossing swords over two laps of the Mullagh course.
Stage 2 - July 23: Batterstown (Drumree circuit), 43 miles
Yesterday's stage had been due to take place over 43 miles but due to concerns over light, it was shortened to 34. The normal handicap system applied and the first of the senior 1 riders made contact with the frontrunners on the Cumulain climb on the second lap, with about nine miles remaining. Healion, Hallam (Dataphonics RT) and Phil Cassidy (Cycleways Lee Strand) combined with the strongest of these to hold their advantage to the finish, where they finished in that order. Seconds later, Crowley won the bunch sprint but as Bracken was just one place behind, he had enough in hand to win overall. Hallam took second, Crowley was third, while veteran Ronnie Brannigan's efforts over the three days netted him the most aggressive rider award.
Stage 3 - July 24: Batterstown (Mullagh circuit), 34 miles
Healion takes stage three, Bracken winner overall
North Kildare CC rider Paul Healion yesterday won the final stage of the Stagg Cycles LCF Summer Festival race in Batterstown, outsprinting seven other riders at the end of the 34 mile race. League leader Colm Bracken (Usher IRC) picked up six points when he placed tenth in the final sprint and thus won the three-stage race overall, his final total of 35 points enough to see off Stuart Hallam's 33 and Aidan Crowley's 32.
Brannigan's Orwell Wheelers team-mate Declan Byrne finished fourth on the final stage and was best senior 3, while Fergal Kelly (Bray Wheelers), Oliver McQuaid (Emerald), Jenny McCauley (unattached) and Keith Daly (McNally Swords) were best of the senior 2's, veterans, women and juniors.
Results
Stage 1 - July 22: Phoenix Park 1 Colm Bracken (Usher IRC) 15 pts 2 B. Hallam (Dataphonics RT) 14 3 S. Whelan (North Kildare CC) 13 4 A. Crowley (Cycleways Lee Strand) 12 5 P. Moriarty (Dublin Skip) 11 6 P. Healion (North Kildare CC) 10 7 E. Murtagh (Ravens) 9 8 F. Kelly (Bray) 8 9 D. Healy (Dublin Skip) 7 Stage 2 - July 23: Batterstown (Drumree circuit), 43 miles 1 Mark Colbert (Tilechoice) 15 2 C. Bracken (Usher IRC) 14 3 A. Crowley (Cycleways Lee Strand) 13 4 E. Murtagh (Ravens) 12 5 O. McQuaid (Emerald) 11 6 S. Whelan (North Kildare CC) 10 7 R. Whelan (Navan Avonmore) 9 8 D. Cunningham (Bray Wheelers) 8 9 Keith Daly (McNally Swords) 7 10 C. Farrell (unattached) 6 Stage 3 - July 24: Batterstown (Mullagh circuit), 34 miles 1 Paul Healion (North Kildare CC) 15 2 B. Hallam (Dataphonics RT) 14 3 P. Cassidy (Cycleways Lee Strand) 13 4 D. Byrne (Orwell Wheelers) 12 5 J. Somer (Orwell Wheelers) 11 6 G. McNulty (Orwell Wheelers) 10 7 M. Fitzgerald (Orwell Wheelers) 9 8 Alan Clogher (TC Racing) 8 9 A. Crowley (Cycleways Lee Strand) 7 10 C. Bracken (Usher IRC) 6 Final general classification 1 Bracken 35 pts 2 Hallam 33 3 Crowley 32 4 Healion 30 5 S. Whelan (North Kildare CC) 6 E. Murtagh (Ravens CRT) 26 7 M. Colbert (Tilechoice) 25 8 Byrne 22 9 P. Moriarty (Dublin Skip) 21 10 Sower 21 11 O. McQuaid (Emerald CC) 21 12 R. Whelan (Navan Avonmore) 19 1st Veteran: Ollie McQuaid (Emerald) 1st Woman: Jenny McCauley (unattached) 1st Senior 2: Fergal Kelly (Bray Wheelers) 1st Senior 3: Byrne 1st Junior: Keith Daly (McNally Swords) Most aggressive rider: Ronnie Brannigan (Orwell Wheelers)
