TransAlps & National Medal

[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"142","attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter size-medium wp-image-318","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"300","height":"225","alt":""}}]]As the world's best professional cyclists make their way around France & prepare to enter the Alps in a tough final week, another  group of racing cyclists are already there. However this group are not racing on the roads up the French & Italian Alps, they are instead taking to the forest trails & the gravel roads as they tackle the 8 Day Mountain Bike Trans Alps. This team competition sees 2 riders climb numerous mountain passes per day for 8 days straight, often while having only a camp site at night to rest up in. Four Cuchulainn Cycling Club riders have taken to the start line Stephen Kelleher, Gary Sheills, Seamus McEvoy & John Grace. All 4 riders spent the winter & summer months on the Cooley Mountains & made special trips to both Wicklow & Limerick to use mountain biking facilities there to further enhance their fitness & skills, which will be put to the test. On stage 2 "D'Unbelievables" Team of Shiels & McEvoy finished 54th team, while the "Cooley" Team of Kelleher & Grace were 148th, out of a total of 222 teams.
 
Other mountain bikers in the club competed in the Irish Mountain Biking Championships on Sunday & the club collected yet another national medal with Gerry McCabe taking the silver in the Vets category, while not far behind was brother Johnny in 5th & Declan also in the top 10. In the Under 16 Aaron McCannon narrowly missed a medal coming home in 4th place. Aidan McDonal & Ray O`Shaugnessy both had top 10 placings in the elites category. Further top 10 placings by the club were Myles Martin in the Masters & David McKeown in the Senior 3s.
 
In the FPM Accountants Summer Cycling League Cuchulainn has a clean sweep of the podium with club riders Greg Flynn, Alan J Grey & Mark Quinn taking the first 3 spots respectively. In fact St. Tiernan's rider Kevin Harnet was the only non-Dundalk man in the top 8. After catching all bar 1 rider the previous week the scratch groups did not catch the front runners & came in some 2minutes down where Alan Bingham took out the sprint ahead of Declan Grey & Peter Tomany. The route was out to Greenore & back & the flatter route, versus the previous week, meant that the front groups worked well together & held a steady pace all day.
 
Meanwhile after a hugely successful run earlier in the summer the Underage Spocket Rocket programme is back, running in Oriel Park every Monday night from July 25th to September 12th. Sprocket Rocket is a foundation Cycling Skills Programme which focuses on delivery to youths aged 8 to 12 years old. The Sprocket Rocket Programme was originally developed by BMX Australia and has been modified by Cycling Ireland to suit the Irish environment. SUBWAY® Sprocket Rocket Programme is aimed at developing basic skills required to ride a bike. The programme requires riders to complete skill tests at three levels of difficulty for each basic skill. Those interested should contact Sé Weston at youth@dundalkcycling.com or check www.dundalkcycling.com