Dromara CC five collect team honours at Newry

Dromara CC five collect team honours at Newry

3 July 2013

WITH the 100th edition of the world-famous Tour de France getting underway on Saturday around the shores of Corsica, it was only fair that over 90 members of the Irish cycling community had their own stage race, except this one was three days long, not three weeks.

The Newry 3-day is famous throughout Ireland for its excellent routes, ranging from flat stages to routes with steep, energy sapping climbs.

Dromara Cycling Club entered a 5-man team into the race against some of Ireland’s top A2/A3 riders to face what the race organisers had set up.

Gavin Magowan, Nathan Mullan, Anthony Quinn, Chris Magowan and Ronnie Smyth started the first stage on Friday night with a 40 mile race taking in three full laps of the Warrenpoint-Newry carriageway before turning onto the Grinnan Road for a sharp, lung-buster of a climb.

On the night, Gavin Magowan finished 2nd on the stage, finishing one second behind winner Ian Inglis of Curran Racing. Ronnie Smyth finished 10th with Tony Quinn 12th. Nathan Mullan was 60th and Chris Magowan was 68th.

The second stage was a 2.3 mile time trial starting on Saturday morning beside Hilltown Co-op.

Fastest Dromara rider on this stage was Gavin in 25th, with brother Chris two places behind in 27th.

Ronnie was 30th, along with Tony 39th and Nathan 62nd.

The third stage was a 55 mile race taking in three laps of the Hilltown circuit before turning right at Hilltown towards Rostrevor taking in the tough Reed Hall climb, then turning left at Rostrevor to tackle the Elm Hall climb towards the finish in Hilltown square.

Ronnie managed to get into the yellow jersey group who were chasing a two man break going past Santa’s cottage.

He stayed in that group to the finish, placing 9th on the stage, with Gavin 15th, Tony 22nd, Nathan 50th and Chris 79th.

Heading into the final stage Ronnie was well placed in 9th overall, 51 seconds off yellow with Gavin 14th, Tony 23rd, Nathan 53rd and Chris 28th.

The team were sitting in second overall in the team standings after the third stage, some six

seconds off the leaders Phoenix CC.

The final stage was the toughest, a 72 mile hilly route that took in climbs at the Horsehoe bend at Castlewellan, two climbs into Rathfriland and one at the Seven Sisters near Rathfriland.

With the team prize within their reach, Gavin took it upon himself to take a sprint prime at Poyntzpass, and when he saw a small group of riders follow him they began working together to form a break that stayed away for 52 miles, but they were caught before entering Rathfriland for the second time.

On the run into Newry from Rathfriland, Ronnie got into a chasing group to the leaders, which set him up nicely for him to come in first in his group at the finish in 9th.

Tony finished in the same group in 18th. Gavin wasn’t for letting the team prize slip away so he put in one final dig to finish six seconds ahead of his group in 37th.

Nathan put in a brave effort and rode in placing 64th. Chris, however, got caught in a crash entering Rathfriland for the first time which sadly ended his race after the effort he put in for the previous three stages.

With three of the team members placing high up in the fourth stage it meant that Dromara took the overall team prize by over a minute from North Down CC.

Ronnie rode a brilliant race to finish 11th overall, only 59 seconds off the yellow jersey. Gavin placed 5th in the Sprints classification.