Victories at the double for Omagh-based team riders

TEAM Caldwell Cycles enjoyed a double success at the weekend with Darnell Moore winning the Simon Brien Residential Tour of Ards on Saturday, while Gareth O’Neill claimed victory in Maghera at the Carn Classic on Sunday.

In the Tour of Ards’ main race over 75 miles, Darnell Moore got away on the final lap to repeat his victory of 2018, beating runner-up Daire Feeley (Evopro Racing) by nine seconds, with Luke Smith (Moynalty Cycling Club) third.

Just outside the podium places were Moore’s Team Caldwell Cycles team-mates, O’Neill in fourth, Craig McAuley in fifth and Odhran Doogan in ninth.

Island Wheelers youngster, Oisin Ferrity, meanwhile, produced a sensational performance at the weekend’s Tour of Ards to hold off no less than 14 other riders to claim victory in the A3/Junior race by just one second.

The race was battled out over 50 miles, with Ferrity, who is just home from Irish international duty at the junior Gent Wevelgem classic in Belgium last weekend, getting a slight gap on the run in to the finish. Another junior Darragh Doherty (VC Glendale) was second, with Mark Buchanan (inishowen Wheelers) third. Mark also took the king of the Hill prize.
Also finishing a second behind Ferrity were Clogher Valley Wheelers’ Thomas Knapcock in 11th and Team Caldwell Cycles’ Joseph Owens in 14th,

The following day, in Maghera, saw O’Neill take victory on the domestic scene for the second weekend in the row, and his third win in the last three years in the Carn Classic.

O’Neill, who won the Boyne GP last weekend in Co Meath with a fine solo effort, was best in a sprint from a six-man breakaway on Sunday.

He saw off Lindsay Watson (Powerhouse Sport) and Conor Harvey (Four Masters CC) in the final dash to the finish line after 72 miles of action. O’Neill won the race back in 2019 and again last year. His Caldwell Cycles team-mate, Doogan was seventh.

In the A3-Junior race a seven-man breakaway fought it out for victory with Sean Og Harrigan (Foyle CC) claiming a clear win from that group from James Delaney (Lucan CRC) and Ronnie Smyth (Dromara CC). Caldwell Cycles rider, Joseph Owens was sixth.

In the A4 race, the honours were settled in a bunch sprint with Peter O’Rourke (Clogher Valley Wheelers) winning from Ciaran Murphy (Ballymena RC). Irish junior international Erin Creighton (McConvey Cycles) got right into the mix against the men and took 3rd place.