With a great haul over the last couple of weeks, it's time we covered the club's senior open racing results for the last month or so. Diarmuid Collins' CX win stands out, as does Jules Cantwell's 2nd out west - he gives his account below! Envelopes also for Monica Marconi, Garry Blair, Kilian Doyle, Ken O'Neill while the Juniors are always picking up prizes regardless! We've also got some more of the women's results from Aideen Keenan, Ann Horan and Emily Brick!
Open Racing
Orwell are very active on the national scene - see all the results and reports from open races here.
An excellent team performance from Orwell on Sunday saw Bryan Geary take a top ten slot in the National A3 Championships, and the club go home with the team classification. Stephen Barry, Bernard English, Mark Holand, Brian McNally, Jamie Busher, and Garry Blair all played their part alongside Geary, who takes us through the race below!
Thanks to the Marmotte and Etape, it's been a while since we checked in with the open racers. Since our last update, there's been results from Bryan Geary, Sandra Telford, Scott Gilchrist, Stephen Rowan and a podium finish for Jamie Busher. Freddie Stevens is the man of the month, collecting a win, a placing, and an upgrade to A3! Details below, with a race report from Stevens himself!
With racing in Roundwood and Newbridge at the weekend, Orwell were as active as ever, with podium finishes for Jules De Meester and Stephen Rowan, placings for Ken O'Neill, Richard Cattle and Scott Gilchrist, as well as prizes for Bryan Geary and Sandra Telford. We've a race report from Bryan Geary below from a race where breaks came and went throughout, for your reading pleasure!
Neal Hudson had one of the hardest rides of the 2015 An Post Rás - an early crash on the opening stage nearly costing him his place. He then had to carry the injuries from that through the entire week, but true grit and determination saw him through. He takes us through his torment below...
In late May, an Orwell Wheelers team of Tom Blennerhassett, Neal Hudson, Brian McArdle, Dick O'Brien and guest rider Michael Butler took to the start line of the 2015 An Post Rás. Ably assisted by soigneurs Mary Brady and Aishling Brady, mechanic Fionn Sheridan and managed by DS Pat O'Brien, they began an eight day trial that would test their physical and mental limits!
Orwell's poet laureate Paul Perry took an excellent win in Navan on Sunday, with Shane Toman, Daragh Boyd and Kilian Doyle also featuring. On Saturday, Dick O'Brien earned a fine 10th overall and 2nd unplaced A2 at the Naas CC promoted TT, while up north the Orwell representatives endured a run of bad luck in Rás Dhún na nGall. Details inside!
The Orwell A4s are taking the road race scene by storm at the moment. On Saturday Freddie Stevens took the win in Carlow, with Mark Holland in 2nd. Last weekend Stephen Barry was victorious in Wexford, while before that Emyvale saw Daragh Boyd take 2nd, Shane Toman 5th, and Ken O’Neill 7th. On top of that, Ann Horan finally got her elusive win!
While not as successful as the A4s, the A2/3 race in Carlow saw some determined efforts from the Orwell riders - Diarmuid Collins in the break, and Valdis Andersons going close in the sprint. He takes us through his race below, with a video of the finish...
It's a title few riders can lay claim to, but every racer in Ireland covets. Tom Blennerhassett was part of the Orwell team for the An Post Rás 2015, and he takes us through his week below in a gripping read!
When the Rás is on, sometimes other events can get lost and forgotten. Stephen Barry made it one to remember when he won the Barrow GP A4 race in style, capping a late solo move with a great win! He takes us through it below...
Following in the wheelruts of several Orwell riders before him, Mark Holland notched up his maiden open win in Dunsany at the weekend! Along with 3rd placed Paul Perry, a great team effort paid off for the club. Diarmuid Collins also collected an envelope at the Shay Elliot on Sunday, full details inside!
The wet and wild roads of the Corkman saw some solid Orwell performances last weekend, with Brian McArdle riding strongly throughout, and Conor Murnane getting up in the final sprint.
Two weeks have passed since the Easter stage races, and as well as Conor Murnane's sprints there, the club have been picking up prizes since. Conor and younger brother Seán both featured in Stamullen, along with Jules Cantwell. And this weekend in Drogheda, Paul Kane, Garry Blair and Dick O'Brien all took home envelopes. Full details below!