Youth Racing
Limerick CC has a very strong and active youth racing team. Reports from this years youth racing season will be posted here. If any parents are interested in getting their children racing with Limerick Cycling Club then please contact us at limerickcc@gmail.com
Youth Racing Update, May 14th
The three Limerick U14 riders turned up in Kanturk hoping to continue their good form from Rás Na nÓg. Needless to say they did not disappoint with Henry Cook finishing 2nd overall followed home by Shane O’Hara in 3rd and Steven Shanahan in 10th. The weather for the weekend was wet and windy making racing conditions dangerous and very tough on the young lads.
Twenty-seven riders lined up for the first stage, the lads had 2 laps of a 14km circuit. With two good long drags and poor road surface the bunch was constantly splitting up and then regrouping, it wasn’t until the final hill that around 15 riders broke clear and these lads contested the sprint to the finish. Shane timed his run to the line to perfection taking a clear victory, his second this year. Henry backed his team-mate up in an excellent 3rd and Steven came in 11th.
The TT was held in the afternoon and Shane’s nerves got the better of him going off too hard at the start he dropped time on the long climb to the finish to relinquish his lead to Craig Crawford who had put in a stunning time to take the overall lead of the CorkMan. Henry did an excellent time in the TT to finish 3rd and maintain his 3rd overall position. Michael O’Loughlin of Dan Morrisseys also put in an excellent time to take 2nd in the TT and moved up in the overall GC.
The final stage was held on Sunday morning with a 32km lap which was the longest the young riders had ever competed on. The rain started to fall as they set off and the peloton settled on a steady pace into the wind all the way to Freemount, as they turned for Newmarket the attacks started but nothing stuck and all the lead riders were together, however finally the long drag was starting to have its effect on some riders and some starting going out the back. The tactics for the lads were clear, Shane was watching Craig Crawford with Steven and Henry going to go with any attempted break, and this would leave the Limerick riders with a chance of taking back the overall win on two fronts. Sure enough on the second climb 5 riders broke clear, Henry and Michael O’Loughlin were in this group while Craig stalled watching what Shane was going to do and with Henry now up the road Shane sat back. After a couple of more Kilometres Craig’s team car was seen giving instructions to their rider and he tried a couple of attempts with first Shane and then Steven on his wheel his attempt to escape failed. Shane realising the hills were taking their toll on the Northern rider then decided to put him under pressure, with Steven on his wheel the two Limerick lads took off out of the pack working together the two lads soon had a nice gap as they descended like two demons into Newmarket. The two boys soon picked up two more riders who had been dropped from the lead group of five, although they were of no benefit to the boys and were soon dropped again, such was the speed of the two Limerick lads. However on the run into Kanturk the remains of the peloton had regrouped and started working well enough to pull back in the two Limerick lads, realising Craig Crawford was again back with them the two Limerick lads stopped working on the front and left the job to Craig and his team-mate Arron Swann.
Meanwhile, up front Eddie Dunbar of Kanturk and Henry were doing all the work with Michael O’Loughlin sitting on, as they came to the sprint Henry was just beaten by the smallest of margins by Michael O’Loughlin for his second victory and biggest win to date. Now only 10 seconds back the peloton swung around the tight corner in Kanturk leading up to the finish, Shane and Steven made their plan and sat in as several attacks came to nothing on the long drag to the finish. Timing his run to the line Shane won the sprint for 4th with Steven right beside him to take an excellent 5TH on the last stage. It’s a pity that Team prizes seems to have disappeared from youth cycling as the 3 Limerick lads would certainly be getting this award in Kanturk
Limerick Youth racing update, April 29th 2009
The season has started very successfully for the Limerick U14 team with a super result at their first race at the Waller cup in Bohermeen. The three Limerick riders coming in 1st, 2nd and 4th. Henry Cook taking his first ever victory followed home by Shane O’Hara in 2nd and Steven Shanahan in 4th
Henry and Steven then went to Carrick where Henry just missed out in the sprint to the line to take 2nd behind Michael O’Loughlin while Steven came in with the bunch.
Meanwhile Shane had headed to Stamullen and was still finding his first win elusive having to settle for two second places just piped on the line by Darragh Long.
The first big race for the lads was held last weekend at Drogheda namely Ras na Og. With 38 riders from all corners of Ireland this would be a tough test for the 3 Limerick lads.
Stage one started successfully, first Steven Shanahan breaking with a lap to go but brought back by the peleton with 3 km to go Henry then jumped and Shane tried to help his cause by holding station at the head of the peleton however the strong men came racing through to catch Henry but a fine finish for the lads with Shane taking 4th and Henry 5th and Steven in 10th.
The second stage brought another fine placing for Henry in 5th although Steven and Shane had less luck Steven being impeded in the sprint to the line when a spectator walked straight out in front of him and Shane had punctured just after the start line leaving him to battle back to 20th.
The third and final stage brought a change in the weather and the rain started to fall just as the field set off after the dry spell the roads became extremely slippery and riders started to come down at every turn in the road. The pace at the front was being set very high as the lead riders unwilling to chance letting anyone up the road. Steven and Shane then decided to drop to the back as everyone was getting nervous and sure enough with 4km to go a touch of wheels up at the front brought several riders to the ground including Henry. Without a drop of compassion Kanturk Rider Eddie Dunbar attacked followed by Michael O’Loughlin given no choice to Shane and Steven to try and brin them back and soon the remains of the peleton were back together. Dunbar at the front was driving on hard as a win or second could now give him the title, Craig Crawford had also managed to get back on but the pace was making him suffer, meanwhile the team car had picked Henry up and set him back on his way and race leader Mark Downey was also coming back. However Dunbar paid the price for the high pace of the lead in with first Harry Comber passing him and then Shane coming off Combers wheel to sprint for the line and finally taking his first victory in 2010.
Henry was unfortunate to drop slightly in the overall to a joint 6th overall sharing it with his teammate Shane and Steven in 10th overall. This was an excellent result for the lads in a very competitive field and particularly hard fast racing all weekend. The Next event for the 3 lads is the Corkman next weekend.