Chasing Time Trial
Wednesday 3rd September 2008 at 7:00 pm
Dunlop's to the fore
With a total of 10 miles of open road in front of you and all the riders you beat all season given a lead equal to the time you beat them by, then put your nearest rival hot on your heels by the time gap he beat you with last time out, well all you can do is ride your bike as fast as you can, as if your life depended on it! Now that's what faced the riders of the Lakeland Cycle Club in their final race of the season, with every rider trying to be 1st across the line.
The course from Maguiresbridge to Tempo and back is tough even on a normal race night, giving you sections of 30mph+ and back to 15mph with a struggle on the drags into a headwind. The riders who set off 1st soon found themselves joined by the rider behind who jumped the small time gap in a bid for success. Before the turn at Tempo a small group of riders had developed at the front of the bike race. Kenny Dunlop found it difficult to shake off Marius Leonard after catching him, as did Gerry Murphy and Brendan Fee. The race lead changed several times on the return journey with Marius refusing to let the lead go to his rivals. Sean Fee caught the leaders and struggled to blow them away and found himself swapping lead over and over again.
One man on the road seemed to be on a mission to win the race as he sped past his rivals without giving them any chance of taking inspiration from him, Raymond Dunlop swept past Eddie Carson, who was unlucky to puncture 3miles from the finish, and then caught Raymond Pauley in the last mile leaving the lead group sensing victory. On the last bend Raymond Dunlop sped past them all with just metres to spare to take a well earned victory and his 1st win of the season. Sean Fee came in a close 2nd place and was disappointed having come so close to victory.
In Sundays Ulster Championship races Dane Dunlop continued his good form to take Silver medal in the junior race held on the Dundrod circuit over a distance of 60 miles, and secure his victory in the Wee Trophy which he held the lead going into the final event. Dane found the course tough on the long climbs and the fast decents having got in a breakaway group for most of the race before getting caught in the last 15 miles by a group of top riders including some professionals. A great finish to a good season for Dane.