Thirty-two years ago Westport CC claimed to have organised the first cyclo-cross All Ireland Championships. Like everywhere else in the country cyclo-cross is becoming popular, the stormy weather that has blasted the west coast the past few weeks has made off road biking a little more endearing. The Westport House venue has huge scope for cyclo-cross with adjacent woodland and lush green fields with plenty of hills.
The course last weekend was a 1.35kms circuit with loads of little technical up and downs, sections through trees, and with a couple of narrow passages to be negotiated, riders were sure to be tired after completing the route 15 times.
In the senior race Western Lakes CC duo Padraig Marrey and Sean O’Malley were too strong for the local opposition, after two laps the duo held a lead on Westport’s Padraic Conway and Colm Staunton, as the race progressed Marrey used his skill and fitness to open a lead on O’Malley and then go on to lap the entire field a handful of times with the exception of Sean O’Malley.
Westport Covey wheelers thank the management of Westport House for the use of their facilities and Connacht cycling committee for its help with the organisation.
The third and final round of the Connacht Cyclo-cross league will be held in Tuam at the Palace grounds on Sunday January 5, sign on at SuperValu car park from 10am, race starts sharp at 11am.
The results from the Westport event are; 1st Padraig Marrey (Western Lakes CC ) 1:12:00, 2nd Sean O Malley (Western Lakes CC ) 1:15:46, 3rd Padraic Conway (Westport Covey )1:13:12 minus one lap, 4th Paul Dunne (Ballina CC ) 1:14:10 minus one lap, 5th Michael Brady (Westport Covey ) 1:15:49 minus one lap, 6th Colm Staunton (Westport Covey ) 1:17:12 minus one lap, 7th Reggie Cowie (Westport Covey ) 1:13:27 minus 2 laps, 8th Brian Nevin (Clare ) 1:17:11 minus 2 laps, 9th Thomas Moran (Westport Covey ) 1:17:12 minus 2 laps, 10th Pat Joe O’Connell (Westport Covey ) 1:17:20 minus 2 laps. In the junior section Sean Flynn (Westport Covey ) was the winner of the u16 race, with clubmates Aaron Doherty taking the u14 race and Shane O’Malley the u12 section, with Conor Dunne from Ballina CC winning the u10 race.
