Fitzgerald finishes overall first… full report and results here…
Fifty-five ladies of all ages and abilities representing twenty Clubs competed in the 2011 edition of the Wheelworx Orwell Ladies Criterium League sponsored by Wheelworx bike shop. After a promising first season, organisers Aideen Collard and Dave McLoughlin decided to build on this success and run the League again.
The League started with a 5km uphill time-trial prologue which was won by Cycleways and Irish Development Squad rider Melanie Späth in a fantastic winning time of 9:20 seconds. We were onto a great start with a good turnout including a lot of new faces recording some very strong times.
Then it was onwards to the criteriums – a format not often used in Ireland. The races are shorter, faster and more technical and traditional road-race tactics can sometimes go out the window. The League indeed delivered with excitement and prowess, with three different categories each Tuesday night attracting even more riders and spectators than last year. The riders found the crit fomat excellent for improving conering and bunch skills as well as getting a very good work-out.
For week-by-week round up of how the League unfolded see www.orwellwheelers.org.
The final round of the League was quite eventful with plenty left to race for in all three categories and spiced up with primes kindly sponsored by Winning Solutions and Joe Daly Cycles.
In the girls race, Naoise Sheridan, who has gone from strength to strength this year, already winning two under-12 open races, took the win, coming in 20 seconds ahead of her opponents.
In the B race, the tension was high and made for some serious racing as the top two girls in the table, UCD’s Ailbhe Ivory and Orwell’s Caroline Martinez, battled it out with the title in mind. The two worked together with the rest of the girls, whilst trying to save enough energy to contest what was to be a sprint finish. Unfortunately for the Orwell French woman, she crashed on the last lap and missed her chance. Caoimhe Ivory of Bray took the win followed by SERC’s under-16 rider, Rebecca Heaney in 2nd with Ailbhe Ivory taking 3rd place.
The Elite A race was dominated by Caroline Conway (Usher IRC) who took advantage of her handicap to go for a solo win, coming dangerously close to lapping the field at one point. She maintained a gap for the next 20 laps, crossing the line 40 seconds ahead of the bunch to leave race leader Sandra Fitzgerald (Lucan), Orla Hendron (Orwell) and Róisín Kennedy (Lucan) battling for the sprint for 2nd. Fitzgerald, true to form, accelerated in the final 200 metres to take 2nd, with Hendron 3rd and Kennedy 4th. It is hard to believe that its just a year since Caroline Conway made her racing debut at the Crit League TT posting a decent time on a hybrid and has since transformed into a great rider taking her first big win.
The racing done, proceedings moved to the Blue Light Pub for a well deserved and anticipated BBQ and the all-important prize giving ceremony. With three race wins, last year’s Most Improved Rider Award winner, Sandra Fitzgerald, proved to us that she was indeed capable of much more, winning the overall title and taking home the Trophy until next year. Team-mate Róisín Kennedy won a deserving silver in the A Division (placing in the top 4 in every round and wearing the Jersey in round 2 after the TT) with the ever improving Anne Dalton (Orwell) taking the bronze. Sandra Fitzgerald on her win: “I was delighted to win the League and couldn’t have done it without the help and experience of my teammate Róisín Kennedy (2nd overall).” Conistently high placings across the board including a solo win earned Ciara Kinch (Orwell) 4th place overall. Likewise Monica Marconi (Henry J. Lyons) had good placings throughout the League to net her 5th place overall. With her meteoric progress throughout the League from Division B to placing in A, rookie, Ania Krol (Orwell) took the Best Newcomer Award and 6th place overall. Other notable performances in the A Divison came from Muirna Walsh (Lakeside) upgraded from B to win the Most Improved Rider Award, gutsy 15 year old Rachael Kaye-Mellor who held her own in the A Division having won the B Division last year, newcomer Patricia Buckley of Orwell with two B wins to earn an upgrade, Wendy Barry of Epic, also upgraded and UCD’s Niamh Stephens who is flying this year.
Ailbhe Ivory took the gold in the B Divison, demonstrating the great sprinter she is week after week. Younger sister Caoimhe took home silver and Orwell’s Caroline Martinez still held on to the last spot on the podium despite her accident. Its heartening that some of this year’s Elite racers came from the B Division last year and these ladies will hopefully be able to join them in 2012. Impressive newcomer, Máire-Tríona Keane (Orwell) placed 4th overall. Rebecca Heaney and her family travelled up from Arklow for every round of the League and her weekly improvements in placings earned her 5th overall in the B Division. Finally, Eileen O’Sullivan (Sorrento) took a well deserved 6th overall in the B Division.
The League organiser and riders would like to thank our generous sponsors, Wheelworx Bike & Tri Store, the Women’s Commission, Joe Daly Cycles and Winning Solutions. We also wish to thank everyone who raced, supported and helped out with the League and made it such a success.
Full Results – Crit League’11_Final
Division A – Final Round Results
1st, Caroline Conway, Usher IRC
2nd, Sandra Fitzgerald, Lucan
3rd, Orla Hendron, Orwell
4th, Róisín Kennedy, Lucan
5th, Monica Marconi, Henry J. Lyons
6th, Ania Krol, Orwell
Division A Final Round Primes kindly sponsored by Winning Solutions & Joe Daly Cycles:
Winning Solutions Prime 1, Caroline Conway, Usher IRC
Winning Solutions Prime 2, Caroline Conway, Usher IRC
Winning Solutions Prime 3, Caroline Conway, Usher IRC
Joe Daly Cycles Prime 4, Caroline Conway, Usher IRC
Division A – Overall Placings:
1st, Sandra Fitzgerald, Lucan, 190 Points
2nd, Róisín Kennedy, Lucan, 159 Points
3rd, Anne Dalton, Orwell, 147 Points
4th, Ciara Kinch, Orwell, 122 Points
5th, Monica Marconi, Henry J. Lyons, 116 Points
6th, Ania Krol, Orwell, 113 Points
Youth Race – Final Round Results:
1st, Naoise Sheridan, Orwell
2nd, Rebecca Heaney, SERC
3rd, Caoimhe Ivory, Bray
4th, Áine Keogh, Orwell
5th, Deirbhle Ivory, Bray
6th, Síobhán Keogh, Orwell
Division B – Final Round Results:
1st, Caoimhe Ivory, Bray
2nd, Rebecca Heaney, SERC
3rd, Ailbhe Ivory, UCD
4th, Máire-Tríona Keane, Orwell
5th, Naoise Sheridan, Orwell
6th, Carmel Buckley, Lakeside
Division B Final Round Primes kindly sponsored by Winning Solutions & Joe Daly Cycles:
Winning Solutions Prime 1, Agnieska Kaletka, Orwell
Winning Solutions Prime 2, Aoife Sheridan, Orwell
Winning Solutions Prime 3, Rebecca Heaney, SERC
Joe Daly Cycles Prime 4, Rebecca Heaney, SERC
Division B – Overall Placings:
1st, Ailbhe Ivory, UCD, 147 Points
2nd, Caoimhe Ivory, Bray, 134 Points
3rd, Caroline Martinez, Orwell, 129 Points
4th, Máire-Tríona Keane, Orwell, 122 Points
5th, Rebecca Heaney, SERC, 111 Points (faster TT)
6th, Eileen O’Sullivan, Sorrento, 111 Points
Special Awards:
Best Newcomer: Ania Krol, Orwell
Most Improved Rider: Muirna Walsh, Lakeside
We would encourage anyone who raced this League or indeed is interested in taking up racing to consider the Wicklow Ladies League beginning with a hillclimb TT next Tuesday 7th June 2011 and running for four weeks, sign-on at 6.50pm for a 7.30pm start in Ashford- for full details, please see www.womenscycling.ie.
Photos courtesy of Brendan Culleton & Amy-Norah Farrell
Caroline Martinez on behalf of the Organisers