In relation to new club clothing, a copy of the 2012 Club Clothing Order Form has also been attached and I will need this back by the 13th January 2012 to try and ensure we have the new clothing by the start of the racing season. Half the total amount is again required with your order. Cheques should be made payable to ‘Orchard Cycling Club’
For your information you can now apply for your 2012 Cycling Licence online through the Cycling Ireland website – simply login on the CI website, click on My Profile and you will be prompted to renew your licence. The £10 club membership fee can then be given to either Davy or myself in due course. I have also attached a copy of the 2012 Licence Application form that can be completed and returned to me as normal if you have problems with the online system.
2012-Membership-Application-Form
Ok folks, Fri 16th of December is our official Xmas nite out. We have provisionally booked a table at Tipplers. So any1 interested in getting their name down 4 food contact myself or any if the committee members asap.
All welcome 4 a beer or 3, without reservation of course.
The club are also running a Reliabilty Trial on Sun 22nd January 2012 from Chambers Park in Portadown. The event will start at 10.00am and cover a distance of approximately 100km, travelling from Portadown to Loughgall then Armagh, Markethill, Tandragee, Scarva, Banbrigde, Lurgan and back to Portadown.
Chairman – Andrew Stewart
Secretary – Paul Williams
Treasurer – David Neill
Committee – Andrew Burns, Rebecca Fiddes, Jonny Guy, Edgar Lucas.
Also if anyone is interested in new club clothing I will have a price list etc available shortly. Items available will be SS Jerseys, Bibshorts, LS Jerseys, Bibtights and Armwarmers. – PLEASE CONTACT PAUL
Malin to Mizen Cycle Challenge
5-12 May 2012
Experience the beauty of the Emerald Isle as you cycle from the northern to southern points of Ireland.
Starting at Ireland’s most northerly point, Malin Head, you will cover 430 miles over seven days, ending the challenge at Mizen Head in the south.
Essential Facts:
£175 registration fee (non refundable)
£1,450 minimum sponsorship
Eight day trip with seven days cycling
Cycle the length of Ireland
For more information or to register:
Online at www.mariecurie.org.uk/china
Email us at: events@mariecurie.org.uk
Call us on 08700 340040
Shelbourne Motors/Orchard CC’s mountain bikers have been in action again recently with another successful outing at this Ulster Championships run this year by Apollo Cycling Club at the Watersports Centre at Craigavon Lakes.
In the Senior Men’s event Andrew Burns and David Neill finished a magnificent second and third respectively taking the club’s first ever medal’s in this event but it was the club’s youth riders who really stole the show on the day with Max Anderson finishing second in the Under 12’s with brother Joel third in the Under 8’s. Sophie Neill, in her first ever race was also second in the Under 8 Girls.
As a result Max finished up third overall the Ulster XC league and fourth overall in the Irish National Point Series in his first season of racing and both brothers will now also be taking part in this winters Ulster Cyclo Cross Championships which have already seen Joel finishing 5th in the Under 8’s race and Max 3rd in the Under 12′s in last weekends opening round in Lurgan Park.
The club’s weekend winter training rides have also begun with a group leaving from the Gilford Road in Portadown at 9.00am on Saturday’s and 10.00am from Richhill on Sunday’s. For full details of all the club’s activities are available on the club’s Facebook page or here.
The final round of both the Irish National Point Series (NPS) and the Ulster XC Series took place at Castlewellan Forest Park on Sunday 14 August 2011. The NPS status was only recently awarded to the event when a previous NPS round had to be cancelled and host club Xmtb McConvey Cycles stepped in to complete the NPS for 2011. The NPS status did attract a greater attendance with around 225 riders taking part from a wide spread of clubs across Ireland. The weather was very good on arrival and for the youth races but there was a heavy downpour in the middle of the Senior 4 race which made the course muddy and slippery in isolated areas.
Andrew Burns, rode well in the Senior 2 race, followed by the Senior 3 race went within minutes of the Senior 2 riders. In another close cycle race it was Andrew Codfrey who took the win just a few seconds before Marc Potts (PlushMTB), with Barry Kellett (Dromara CC) third. Fourth was David Neill (Shelbournemotors / Orchard Wheelers) with Daire McCaughtry (Cuchulainn CC) fifth and Terry McDonagh (Epic MTB) sixth. Orchard also had riders in the underage race – great to see the youth representing the club so well, keep it going !
Both Andrew and David will have a strong home advantage at the next round of the Ulster League, which is being held at the Craigavon Lakes – secret winter training ground!
The Giant’s Causeway Coast Sportive is a unique event based on the iconic North Coast of Ireland offering participants some of Northern Ireland’s most stunning natural landscapes, most notably the Giant’s Causeway and views over to Rathlin Island and the headlands to the east. The event will take place on Saturday 17th September, cyclists have the choice of 3 routes (57km; 126km; 182km) which all start and finish in the small rural seaside town of Ballycastle in County Antrim. In addition to the event itself, two social events have been organised for before and after the event.
The results from yesterdays Groucho’s GP are as follows -
Joint 1st – Aaron Deane, Foyle CC and Kyle Houston, Phoenix CC
3rd – Simon Taggart, Ballymena CC
4th – Daniel Stewart, Ards CC
5th – Barry Doyle, Harps CC
6th – Brian McKinney, Ballymoney CC
1st Unplaced Orchard CC rider – Andrew Stewart
Fifty riders started but as the peleton turned onto the first of their 9 laps of the Tandragee 100 motorcycle circuit 3 riders broke clear. They were then joined by four others including the eventual winners Aaron Deane and Kyle Houston and despite some determined chasing by the bunch they were unable to close the gap completely. A number of other riders were then able to join the break at this stage bringing the total to fifteen and this resulted in the the gap going back out to over a minute with Kyle Houston and Aaron Deane eventually breaking clear on the last lap to ride in together to the finish and although a final attack by Deane was negated when he was mistakeningly sent the wrong way, both riders agreed in the interest of fairness, to share first place.
The club would like to thank everyone who helped marshall today as well as Shelbourne Motors, race sponsor Groucho’s Bar, St John’s Ambulance and the local PSNI
