Weekend Competitive Events – 16/17 June

Banbridge CC host the Noel Teggart Memorial road races for 2018 on Sunday. It is always a busy day for the promoting club, there will be a total of 6 races promoted including 3 races for the youth categories and 3 senior races.  Racing will take place on the traditional circuit, starting in Banbridge and making its way out to the village of Gilford and through Scarva before the long drag back to Banbridge for a finish on the Scarva Rd .

Earning a reputation in recent years as one of the highest paying events in the country this trend is set to continue with the promoters setting aside a generous prize pot of £1,800, which includes a winner’s cash prize of £300 for the A1/A2 race.

Last year’s winner of this race, Marc Heaney riding for Belgian outfit Asfra Racing, has gone on to become one of the most promising under 23 riders in the country and recently secured his first UCI categorised victory overseas in Albania.  Other recent winners include multiple Irish National Champion Mark Dowling and 2018 Rás Tailteann stage winner Sean McKenna who both added their name to the winner’s trophy alongside numerous famous Irish cycling names; Tommy Evans, David McCann & Phillip Cassidy among them.

Contenders for this year’s event are likely to include local riders Lindsay Watson of Powerhouse Sport and John Buller of Banbridge CC who have both shown fantastic form against high quality international competition in recent weeks, and will want to impress on home roads.  Darnell Moore and the Caldwell Cycles Team have also impressed most weekends and if the Viner Caremark Pactimo team send their usual contingent led by the in-form Matteo Cigala & Ronan McLaughlin they will likely be at the top of the bookies favourites list.

Of the 6 races being promoted on the day, the A1/A2 race will be the first to roll out from the Banbridge Academy School at midday to face 7 laps of the circuit to give them a total race distance of 130km. Prizes will be on offer for the first 8 riders across the line and the first 3  A2 category riders.

A dedicated A3 race always provides fierce competition with local man Simon Curry delighted to be get the upper hand on the Powerhouse Sport  junior riders in a hard fought bunch sprint at last year’s event. This year they will once again cover 6 laps of the circuit, giving them a race distance of 110km.  Prizes will be awarded to the top 6 riders in this race.

The A4 race will face 5 laps to give a total race distance of 92km, and will also accommodate A3 & A4 women, many of who have been showing their male counterparts that they are more than up to providing healthy competition, and with the National Championships only weeks away will be keen to cause the A4 men an upset.  Prizes will be awarded to the top 6 riders and the highest placed women.

A full suite of youth races will also be on offer, accommodating our under 16, 14 & 12 riders.  The under 16 event will complete 3 laps for a total race distance of 55km. The under 14’s will complete 1 lap covering 17km, while the under 12’s will be neutralised to their official race start at the Banville House Hotel roundabout where they will race to Scarva village, a total race distance of 9.5km.  Prizes will be awarded to the top 3 boys and top 3 girls in each youth race.

In a slight change from previous years the Event HQ will be based at Banbridge Rugby Club, just off the Newry Rd.  Full changing and shower facilities will be available.

Event pre-registration has now closed. Riders are still required to sign-on on the day at the event HQ where they should have their race licences available for presentation – this facility will be open from 10am until 11:30am before all races roll out together at 11:45am.

The roll out will be neutralised, through Banbridge town, to the race start area at the Banbridge Academy School where riders will be held and released in their respective races for the official race starts commencing at 12 noon.