Madden's Curran Racing team-mate on winning form in Groucho GP

Current Ulster Veteran road race champion Liam Curran (Curran Racing) moved a step closer to 2nd category status with a convincing win in the exciting Groucho Grand Prix cycle race.

Promoted by Orchard Wheelers in glorious sunshine the competitors tackled 12 laps of the Tandragee motor-cycling circuit before returning to Richill for the classic uphill finish. Curran along with Kevin Lynch (Newry Wheelers) escaped with 15 miles remaining and managed to hold off the fast chasing pack.

Curran Racing team mates John Madden and Sam Craig assisted Liam to his fine victory with some clever early breaks which tired the field.

At one stage it looked as though it might be Madden who would have been contesting the finish with Jack Wilson (East Antrim Audi) as they broke away from the main field in one of these early attacks.

However when the field came back together it was Liam Curran who made the decisive move and stayed away to the finish. Madden and Craig thwarted the efforts of the main bunch to chase Curran as they refused to work at the front and disrupted the attempts of others to establish the momentum and rhyme required to bridge the gap.

It was Curran who had the strongest legs at the finish coming home just 9 seconds ahead of Lynch. A minute later the remains of the bunch arrived with Jason Henry (U/A) leading Ronnie Smyth (Dromara CC), Shaun Gray (Orchard Wheelers) and Terry Mackin(Banbridge CC) over the line for third place. Henry was pleased with the result as he now moves into the 2nd category ranks with the points gained today. Madden and Craig finished with the main bunch and were delighted to see that Curran had won. Perhaps it will be their turn next week?

Other riders who tried to make the break together with Madden at various points throughout the event were East Antrim's Jack Wilson, West Down's Paul Wilkinson and Phoenix CC's Mert Thompson. Tony Boyle of Castlereagh was again in the thick of the action and is due a win some of these days.

Madden, who lives in Ballycastle and is an associate member of Bann Wheelers cycling club in Coleraine, has some important races coming up including 3 day stage races in Donegal and Newry in addition to national time trial and road race championships at the end of June. Let’s hope he continues to enjoy his racing and success comes in the Ballycastle rider’s direction in the near future.