Underage Corkman 2-Day, Kanturk Co. Cork 2016.

Underage Corkman 2-Day, Kanturk Co. Cork 2016.

The may bank-holiday weekend of 2016 brought us one of the busiest weekends of the year countrywide. We had a team partaking in the gruelling Tour of Ulster, and had great representation and a great win Tadgh de Barra in the main event, the A2 race in Camross for the Wexford Wheelers Frank O’Rourke Memorial races and at the underage 2-day and senior level 3-day Corkman in Kanturk Co. Cork.
We had the ever-enthusiastic gang of ‘the lads’ at the underage races there with Luke Griffin and Steven Crowley representing us in the under 14 race with Brandon Walsh, Jason and Rhys Kenny, Tomas Walsh, Aaron Dillon, Conor Coleman and Ciaran O’Sullivan in the under 16 race.
Saturday’s stages took place on the 30 or so km, Kanturk-Freemount-Newmarket-Kanturk Circuit, a rolling course with some poor enough surfaces in spots, a few nasty stinging hills and an uphill finish to the line at the Freemont road graveyard. The under 14’s did one lap of the course with our 2 lads finishing well in their bunch after a solid performance from the Comeragh pairing.

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Steven & Luke starting Saturday’s Stage

The under 16 race, over 2 laps, Ciaran was best of our lads on the day with a Top 10 finish. He was in the group that was chasing down the winning breakaway.

 

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Conor sprinted for honour in the main bigger bunch which also held the Kenny twins and Aaron.

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Tomas didn’t have his best of days and Brandon who was in his first race of the year and indeed his first under 16 race got stuck in and did himself proud. Chapaeu Brandon.

 

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Saturday afternoon’s 8km Timetrial took place on The N72 from Lombardstown Junction to Duhallow Park Site, the same course the seniors would do.

Results:
Luke Griffin – U14- 14.3358, 7th place.
Steven Crowley – U14 – 14.4496, 10th place.
Ciaran O’ Sullivan – U16 – 12.4837, 7th place.
Conor Coleman U16- 13.1420, 16th place
Tomas Walsh U16 – 13.5424 27th place
Rhys Kenny U16 – 14.0971 31st place
Aaron Dillon U16- 14.0972 32nd place
Jason Kenny u16 – 14.1882 38th place
Brandon Walsh U16 – 16.0639 50th place

Sunday’s final stage for the lads would use the Kanturk–Coolakareen–Dromtariffe-Ballymaquirke-Kanturk course, the same loop the Seniors would use on the Monday with a tough up-hill gallop to the line at the Kanturk Community Hospital.
Stellar performances all round from the lads on this stage with Luke and Steven under 14 securing 13th and 16th positions overall for the weekend. Brilliant stuff lads.
Under 16 then, Ciaran cemented his 7th overall position for the weekend with Conor 10th, showing us how they earned their spots on the teams for their upcoming France trip: Click Here.

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Ciaran finishing off another fine weekends racing.
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Conor getting great support from his Mum.

The rest of the lads rounded out their weekends in fine style too, doing themselves, their families and us here at Comeragh CC proud. Big well done lads!!

 

Big thanks again to John Coleman for the great pics.

Conor, it seems, is not immune to being photo-bombed either!!

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Nice touch Eddie, thanks.