Louth Champions crowned, Herr & Daly win leagues, riders get soaked at night!

Bike Week 2012 saw four new Louth Champions crowned in both road and off-road cycling. The county Road Race Championships saw almost 40 riders contest 3 laps of the traditional Knockbridge circuit.  Colm Quinn repeated his 2011 winning ride to take the gold ahead of Peter Tomany, these two riders early on broke away from the rest of the bunch, working together to build a healthy lead. In the sprint for the line, Colm's greater experience, having 3 Rás in his legs some him comfortably lead home Peter. Over a minute back the race for the bronze medal saw Ray O`Shaughnessey edged out Stamullen's Gary Gorman. In the women's race Breda Dawe added another Louth gold medal to follow her hill climb medal from the year before.

Meanwhile at Bellurgan park Ray O`Shaughnessey took the gold, his second medal of the week, ahead of underage rider Aaron McCann, with John Loane in 3rd. Meave Baxter, a rider with Conemara Cycling Club, but resident in Louth beat Sandra O`Hagan by a slim margin to take the win. The regular mountain bike league will return next Thursday night.

The women's league finally saw someone break Celine McPhilips stronghold over proceedings. Having won the first 2 rounds it was time for a new winner and Breda Daly stepped up to the plate. Riding in the second group, herself and her colleague Kathleen Byrne managed to hold off the fast charging scratch group while catching all those ahead. Once again Lisa Neary had a storming ride, hanging onto Breda and Kathleen as they came past and taking second in the sprint ahead of Kathleen in 3rd. Celine McPhilips did lead the scratch group home in 4th position.

In the FPM Accountants Summer Cycling League Neal Herr celebrated, in style, his first win of the campaign. Herr beat Ultan Stokes into 2nd, with John Savage rounding out the podium. Overall group 1 dominated the night as they took full advantage of their handicap to keep the other groups behind. The win is testament to the hard work Neal put in over the winter and his form is sure to build as the season progresses. The Louth mountain bike and road champions led home the scratch group with Ray O`Shaughnessey taking maximum points ahead of Colm Quinn.

Finally on the summer solstice 20 riders braved the bad weather, once again this "summer" to undertake a night time 100mile cycle. Leaving Dundalk at 11pm they cycled to the Spire on O`Connell Street and back to the Crowne Plaza for a well earned cooked breakfast.