Promoted in conjunction with round 2 of the Banbridge Inter-Club Race League, Banbridge CC riders competed for the 2023 Skelly Cup last night, 31st May. A handicapped 17 mile TT held over rolling terrain with the steep ascent of Cattle Hill on the outskirts of Katesbridge, it’s known to be a very testing circuit.
Despite not being familiar with the route or the main obstacle of Cattle Hill (which was perhaps a benefit!), it was Michael Larkin who put in an effort to come out tops after the handicap calculations had been taken into factor. Mick edged out the in-form Paul Wilkinson in 2nd place, with Gary Balchin close behind in 3rd. Fastest rider on the night was Luke Osborne, who was the only rider to record a time under 40 minutes with a 39:35. Erwin McKee followed in 2nd place with 40:37, with the aforementioned Paul Wilkinson in 3rd place with 41:17. Fastest road bike on the night was Mark Downey, recording a time of 43:17.
With 4 rounds now complete of the Banbridge CC Club league, JP Rice and Paul Wilkinson share the lead with a total tally of 82 points each. Richard McBride is only 4 points adrift in 3rd place. With a total of 14 rounds in the 2023 league, the top 10 results of each rider will count towards the final league table result. Over the 4 rounds to date we have had a total of 43 club members scoring points, showing great participation within the club!
