Dan Whiting kicked off Orwell's win account for the 2011 road race season by taking victory in his first ever open race at Summerhill on Saturday. Showing his maiden success was no fluke, Whiting added a fourth place finish in Navan the following day to finish his first weekend of open racing within four ranking points of an upgrade to A3.

Whiting's form will come as little surprise to his club mates on winter training spins who have witnessed at first hand the powerhouse strength that is surely destined soon for a higher level. His win on Saturday owed as much to a cool head as the fire in his legs and showed an aptitude for clear thinking in the heat of battle. Having bided his time for much of the Dublin Wheelers Mick Lally Memorial A4 race, Whiting timed his final acceleration up Dorey's Forge to perfection. After crossing the line with a clenched fist salute at the end of 44km, Whiting set about recovering for the following day's 85km Cycleways Cup A4 race in Navan. Once again it turned out to be bunch sprint from the much depleted starting group and Whiting shrugged off stiff legs, crossing the line fourth.

On Saturday, Brian Ahern gave notice that he is nicely primed for the challenges of the season ahead as he scored a fine sixth place finish in the Mick Lally Memorial A1/A2 race. This is something of a comeback for the former first cat star who has raced very little in the last couple of seasons and starts this year with an A2 licence. Based on Saturday's form Brian will be hoping he can finish the year back among the A1s.

There were several other performances of note among a large turnout of Orwell riders in the two Meath based promotions with Aidan Collins showing the benefit of a good winter as he made the winning break in the 66km A3 race at the Mick Lally Memorial, eventually crossing the line 8th.

New Orwell recruit Dave Coughlan and Stephen McNally were both very active in the Cycleways Cup A1/A2 race, the latter just missing out on a prize in the run to the line having attempted a late attack/early gallop that didn't quite come off.

Earlier, Declan Byrne showed signs of a return to form with sustained periods up the road in the early stages of the 85km A3 race. Eddie Lynch was top ten in the final gallop to the line, a position that would surely have been higher had he not been badly baulked in the finishing sprint.

Perhaps most impressive Orwell rider of all in the A3 race was raw rookie Brendan Maloney who spent much of the afternoon on or near the front and coped comfortably with the accelerations on the second lap up the testing drag.

 

Results
Mick Lally Memorial,
Summerhill, Saturday 5th March 2010

88km
1, Tim O Regan (Team Dectek) 2 12 00";
2, Robin Kelly (Comeragh CC) @ 20";
3, Craig Sweetman (Stamullen M. Donnelly) s.t;
4, Paul O Keeffe (South Dublin CC) s.t;
5, Paul Kennedy (Swords CC) s.t;
6, Brian Ahern (Orwell Wheelers) s.t.

 

A4 Race
44km
1, Daniel Whiting (Orwell Wheelers);
2, Dave O' Connor (Park Wheelers);
3, Tom Doyle (UCD);
4, Geoff Robinson (Bray Wheelers);
5, Ed O Brien (Bray Wheelers);
6, Barry Sheridan (Lucan CRC).

Cycleways Cup
Navan, Sunday 6th March
A4 Race
88km
1, Shane O'Donoghue (Comeragh CC);
2, Janos Köhler (Bray Wheelers);
3, Trevor Robinson (Comeragh CC);
4, Daniel Whiting (Orwell Wheelers).