Sunday Cycle  20^th July 2014

Great turn out in the car park this morning which saw 25 riders keen to get their Sunday Cycle underway.  Too many for a single group, so we split. Pat took one group and Anthony took the other.

Pat’s group completed  a 50 mile loop with some riders finishing on just over 60. The chosen  route accommodated some relatively new cyclist which the club welcome. This group ride from Maghera, Tobermore, Magherafelt, Ballyronan, Newbridge,  Bellaghy,  Hillhead, Castledawson,  Curran,  Tobermore, Swatragh, Upperlands, up through Slaughtneil and back home. Well done to our young rider John,  great effort.  Thanks to all who supported the efforts of all new cyclist to the club. 

Great club ride on what turned out to be a lovely morning. 

Anthony’s group took a more altitude-based route by heading for Garvagh and up the Plantation Road.  Then left up the Belraugh Road and then left again up "Canice’s Hill” to the transmitters.  Down into Drimsurn and then up again and onto Dungiven.  From there onto Park and up over Sperrin, and then up again and over to Broughderg.  Then a speedy descent down to Draperstown, Tobermore and home. 
Tommie "needed” to do 80 miles today to make up the Gran Fondo challenge on Stravas, so he and some others detoured from Tobermore towards Magherafelt, Curran and back to Tobermore, then returning to Maghera, leaving Tommie with 82.5 miles.

King of the Mountains today goes to young Patrick Lagan.  He was never far away on any of the ascents, and  as he was also first to the county-march on Sawel, and first up to the gravel on the road to Broughderg,  he secured himself the polka-dot, proving that its not all about fancy carbon bikes.

Well done to all.