East Antrim cyclist Gary Cranston took a well deserved but hard won victory in Sundays Classic Tour of Armagh. It was Cranston’s first open race win for some time, and he did it the hard way, getting into the right moves early on and crossed the line alone after 74 miles of the most hilly Armagh roads that the event has used  in many years.

Starting from Lurgan at noon, the sixty odd bunch of cyclists were together at Portadown, as the first attacks began into a headwind on the Loughgall road. A group of nine that included Cranston got a small gap, and they fought well to very slowly increase their lead. By Armagh it was thirty seconds, and as Simon Williams took the Mountains prize on Keady mountain, the leaders were reduced to seven stalwarts holding a minute gap on a dozen chasers, and the main field at around two minutes.

The hills around Newtownhamilton and Beleeks kept the pace low until they turned north at Camlough, where they had 1.40 on a large chasing bunch. By Markethill, there were just five on the front. Cranston, Frazer Duncan (Curran Racing ), Simon Williams (Juiced Orchard ), Thomas Martin (Clann Eireann ) and Conor McAllister (Ballymena ) were all sharing the pace, as the chasers got them down to a minute.

However, the following breeze and a lot of hard work gave the five enough to hold that minute lead till the end. With two miles to go Thomas Martin attacked the other four. He was quickly pulled back, and Cranston went next, getting 200 metres, and holding on to the line, with the other four closing in again  a few yards behind.

Clann Eireann Cycling club wish to thank their sponsors, Classic Mineral Water Company, Murray Memorials and McCabreys Raleigh Centre.

Classic Mineral Water Sponsored Tour of Armagh…2009 Result

1. Gary Cranston…….. Audi East Antrim
2. Fraser Duncan ……..Curran Racing
3. Simon Williams…….Juiced Orchard
4. Thomas Martin…..…Clann Eireann
5. Conor McAllister..…Ballymena Road Club
6. Johnny Cole….…….Team Madigan

Unplaced Lady………………Heather Wilson (Maryland )

                Cat .3…………….Richard McCullough (North Down )

                Vet………………..Alan Lavery (Curran )

                Junior……………..Peter Williams (Orchard )

Pics Thanks to J Rafferty.

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