West Down Wheelers get their season underway

West Down Wheelers riders after the Newry Wheelers race. Left to right: Alistair McCourt, Paul Wilkinson, Andrew Hodgen, David Frizell, Ian Weir and Brandon Douglas.

The club will have 10 riders competing in the next week or two, and that’s excellent for a wee club.

Without a doubt Wilkie’s performance in the A1s was fantastic and he will have come away with a lot of confidence. To finish 11th overall is a superb achievement.

With two new riders making their debut in Wheelers colours, the club had plenty of interest.

Young Brandon Douglas riding his first ever Open Race in Junior Gearing can take away some very good positives.

This race was always going to be one of the hardest. With the Elite riders in Ireland hunting you down, it was always going to be a tough task.

But it looks like Brandon will do well in an A3 race and every race from now on he will gain experience.

With Dave not getting a start it was up to Matt to keep the colours flying for the club, but he to found it tough when the A1s and A2s caught them.

He knows what he has to do, but he to should be fine in as A3 race.

Then it was the turn of Allister, Andy, Clive and another new rider, Ian Weir.

This turned out to be as tough an A4 race as the riders have been in.

The long hard drag out of Annaclone was always going to test the riders.

Allister and Andy, due to one thing or another, found themselves chasing to get back on but it being a 23.5 AVG Race it’s not that easy.

Then it was left to Clive and Ian to fly the colours, and fly them they did, both finishing comfortably in the bunch. To see Ian finish was very pleasing as he hasn’t had the best preparation as he would have liked, so there’s plenty more to come from him this year.

In reflection it was a very good day for the Wheelers and no doubt plenty more to come.

Big thanks to all of the club members who came along to support the guys.

West Down Wheelers’ Dave Frizz and Paul Wilkinson headed to Nutts Corner to compete in Phoenix CC Races on Sunday.

Dave rode hard all day and finished in the bunch, Paul found it tough after riding hard on Saturday.

With the season underway, eight Wheelers have taken part and the Wheelers colours have been there.

Last Saturday West Down Wheelers’ Clive Adamson headed to Carryduff to compete in the John Moore Memorial Race. It was meant to be on a new course but it was covered in ice so it was moved back to the old one.

Clive Rode a very good, sensible race and finished safely in the bunch.

Last Sunday, seven West Down Wheelers riders headed up to Newry to compete in the Haldane Fisher Races, with Paul riding in the A1s.

Dave and Brandon in the A3s and Allister, Andy and Ian in the A4s, and John Clyde in the Masters.

Everything went to plan with all the riders finishing well in their own races.

It has been a superb start to the year for West Down Wheelers, it’s good to see the guys out competing every week.

Next week the club have riders heading up to Magherafelt to compete in the Spires CC Road Race.

There’s no let up from now to September for the riders in West Down Wheelers.