Cliften Kings take the Crowns in Hollymount
The second round of the WLCC club league was held in Hollymount on Friday night last, the local riders did not know what to expect when a van load of 12 Bens riders showed up, led by A1 racer JJ Flaherty, one suspects they did a lot of spinning over the winter. Never the less the assembled riders were split in to groups with John King the eldest of the out of townees in the first group with an 8 minute advantage. There was a fierce stiff breeze blowing but the roads were dry. John King took off like a cut cat and had dropped his companions by the end of Roundfort, if he kept that pace up he would be hard caught. Scoop who has retired from racing to work at lead car driving and commentary could hardly keep up.
The rest of the groups set off in to the side head wind, at such a pace that a few were dropped at the top of the village. The next group set away and local favorite Noel Jennings in this group with a eye on the top prize.
The scratch group and John Gill was under pressure the win his local race, another favorite John O Holleran retired after a few KM with the red engine light badly flashing.
After the first lap John King had a commanding lead followed by Anne Flynn (Stagg), Dave Connolly another local favorite pulled out due to engine management system failure.
The scratch group caught the next group after the first lap in the village of Hollymount and this group held together for most of the next lap. Anthony O Toole, Tomas Hughes and Noel Jennings doing well to stick the pace.
The marshals waited in holly and were doing a great job and expected a bunch sprint at the finish, when the lone figure of John King rounded the corner in Hollymount to secure the top spot on the podium and full points, the next group around the corner was made up of Hollymount and Cliften lads and the two Cliften lads showed a clean set of cleats to the local lads and filled the remaining places on the podium. It looks like the handicapper was well and truly hood- winked. The Cliften lads spoiled the local party but this is bike racing.
There was tea and food in the village hall afterwards and prize giving. Special thanks to Anne Flynn who made the Chocolate Biscuit cake, it was worth all the cycling torture for this cake.
Once again thanks to all the locals who worked at sigh on, road marshals and drivers, without these hard workers the events can't take place.
After the points are added up for the two rounds it looks like Hollymount man Ollie Kelly is leading the league with Anthony O Toole, Conor Gill, Sarah Canny and Aiden Flynn filling out the Top 5 placings.
The next round of the WLCC league will take place in Tullycross on July the 26TH, keep an eye on FB for details, hopefully the South Mayo lads can return the favor to the Galway lads.
