Boylan Completes Set Of Titles
Club Championship Road Race on Saturday 30th September 2006
On Saturday 30th September (2006), 16 riders - 15 men and one woman - gathered at Fivemiletown to contest the Lakeland Club Championship 2006, the coveted 'Maillot Jaune' squeezed into by Wesley Foster for the last two years. The event was to have been five laps of the Fivemiletown-Murley Cross-Clabby-Fivemiletown circuit (40 miles) but due to the later start time, adverse weather and rescheduled Lough Navar hill climb the following day, it had been sensibly reduced to four laps (32 miles).
It was wet and windy as Wesley Foster disputed the start time, and the weather conditions were just as bad. The field was split up into three groups. The first group to be unleashed was followed four minutes later by the second group, which in turn was followed three minutes later by the 'scratch' group of top dogs.
After two and a half laps, the groups had all come together. Kenny Boylan led by a small gap. The chasing group of riders tried in turn to bridge the gap but could not do so. Kenny continued in 'time trial' mode for the next lap and a half to win the event in style. As the peleton left Fivemiletown on their last lap, Wesley Foster made the break and maintained a gap to take second place, a Lisbellaw 1-2. The rest of the peleton contested the remaining place on the podium with Peter Martin eventually coming out round the group to take third with a strong sprint finish.
Joan Flanagan was forced into retiring on the first lap with a puncture, but undeterred she proceeded to run a lap of the eight-mile circuit, which she finished before the race was over. The triathlon is obviously her next challenge.
Wesley Foster was disappointed not to have retained the title for what would have been a third consecutive year, but was happy to see Kenny Boylan win so emphatically to keep the title in Lisbellaw. Amazingly, this is the first time that Kenny has been Club Champion in all his years of success. He has now won everything there is to win, a complete set titles and filled the gap in his trophy cabinet. He will now have to seek planning permission for 'Millwood, Lisbellaw - extension to existing trophy room'.
Results
| Pos | Cyclist | Club | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kenny Boylan | LCC | |
| 2 | Wesley Foster | LCC | |
| 3 | Peter Martin | LCC | |
| DNF | Joan Flanagan | LCC |