Sunday 2nd of Feb Norwood CC hosted the 2008  junior crit Championship in Adelaide City
the course which was around Whitmore Square was 1.3 kms per lap and very fast with 4 sweeping bend
In the brillent sunshine a large crowd lined the circuit and with the local scout troop manning a refeshment area and barbecue it all lended to a great days sport in very much a carnival atmosphere .
There were 6 races on the programm with 3 age groups U13 U15 and U17 having seperate races for the the boys and girls .South Australian cycling Federation and Norwood are to be comended for the safety of the event with spectator control at all juntions etc.

Fermoys Robert Jon Mc Carthycompeted in the U 15 boys event and managed to break away early  with local rider Alex Holms(Norwood CC) this pair stayed ahead of a chasing group of six riders with the bunch futher back at the line it was Alex Holms taking gold ahead of Robert jon Mc Carthy with Scott Halandal (Killkenny CC )getting the sprint for 3rd.

In the U 17 Girls race there was another Irish interest with Sinead Noonan(Cycle express) taking gold,Sinead,s mum hails from Naas Co Kildare.
Sinead made it a piller to post victory when she went on the 4th lap to ride away from the chasing group for a very impressive win.

Over the Bank Holiday weekend, Fermoy Youth Cyclists Travelled to Killorglin to compete in the International 3 Day Kerry Youth Tour, which is hosted by the Killorglin Credit Union Cycling Club with the generous sponsorship of Kerry Group.

This event is the highlight of the most national squads and with teams from England, Wales, Scotland, Isle of Man, Belgium, South Africa, Malta, Greece, as well as Provincial and National teams picked from the best in Ireland.  It was going to be a very challenging weekends racing for all.

In the U12 event, local interest was with the Munster McCarthy Insurance Team of David McCarthy (Fermoy CC), Sean McConville (Kanturk CC), Shane O’ Hara (Kanturk CC), and Michael Wilkins (Killorglin CC).  These 4 riders were in very hard luck when on stage 1 all four were caught up in a crash only 7 minutes into the race, which cost them time on GC.  Sean McConville had an excellent 4^th in the time trial and he was 3^rd on Stage 2 with teammate O’ Hara 4^th with David McCarthy and Michael Wilkins finishing in the Main Bunch.  The final stage saw the Munster Riders work well to secure a fine 2^nd for McConville and bring them up the 5^th overall in the team prize. Brian Barry rode well all weekend in his first race back from injury, while Corrie Hayes was having his first taste of open competition in Fermoy colours and finished all stages in good form.  The overall winner was Ulster/Clan Eireann rider Ciara Mulholland who dominated the 3 days with 3 wins and a 2^nd.

The U 14 event looked on paper to be the most competitive and it didn’t disappoint with 3 different stage winners and a change in the yellow jersey on day 2.  Fermoy was well represented with 2 riders in the Munster Saab Team, David Chambers and Robert John McCarthy.  These were joined by 2 Kanturk riders, Christy Hegarty and Kevin Barry.  Fermoy CC had 2 teams with Simon Fox, Ian Redmond and Eoin McCarthy Fermoy Team Red and Ciaran Hanley, Patrick John McCarthy and Andrew McCarthy Fermoy Team Green.  Jack Wilson of Ulster/Audi won stage 1 with Patrick Gilbraith 2^nd and David Chambers 3^rd.  Kevin Barry and Robert John McCarthy finished 6^th and 7^th, putting Munster 7 seconds down on Ulster for Team Prizes.  The time trail saw all the Munster Riders finish in the Top 10 with Chambers best in 4^th.  Stage 2 in the afternoon was hilly and saw some great team riding by David Chambers & Robert John McCarthy to pull back Wilson & Gilbraith who at one point had a 35 second advantage.  With the break reeled in this set up a great finish by Chambers to take the stage from Wilson and Maffey of Ulster, with the other Munster Riders all safely in the first 15.  Early hard work by Robert John secured him the King of the Hills Red Jersey.  Stage 3 in Killorglin town saw great racing with McCarthy claiming Max Points on the first two accents of the town hill to hold his Hills Jersey with 2 laps to go.  The Scotsman escaped with Wilson and despite some work by the Munster boys they gained 47 seconds with Gilbraith winning the stage and overall, and Wilson taking 2^nd.  David Chambers finished 3^rd and also 3^rd overall, Robert John 5^th just behind Belgian Loic Griffnee.  These two battled all weekend for the U13 young rider jersey, with Griffnee coming out on top by 7 seconds.

Fermoy Teams fared well all weekend finishing 6^th Team overall, 1^st Irish Club Team, with British West Midlands 7^th, Scottish Provident Isle of Man 8^th.  Fermoy individual Riders finished, Eoin McCarthy 20^th, Simon Fox 28^th, Kieran Hanley 37^th, Robert John McCarthy 38^th, Ian Redmond 39^th, and Andrew McCarthy 44^th.  Excellent results in a field of over 60 International Competitors.

The U16 race had an entry of 70 Riders from all over Europe, Fermoy CC had two riders, Gary Burke & Eamon O’ Neill.  Both rode well with Gary really excelling on the Hilly Day, moving himself to 16^th overall and worth noting 4^th Irish Rider on GC.  Belgian rider Cedric Demencean who won Stage 3 dominated this event.

Last Wed evening saw a big field contest the Cork County Road Race Championship held on the Castlehyde Course .
In The U12 race David Mc Carthy took silver with Kirsty Mc Carthy getting Gold in the girls section, the U 14 race saw Fermoys Simon Fox,Robert Jon Mc Carthy and Ian Redmond take Gold Silver and Bronze after breaking away from the main field on the first of 3 laps,
Gary Burke recorded a great win in the u16 all the more impressive considering he raced with the seniors and was the only U16 to complete the 5 laps in the pelaton,

The senior race was very agressive from the start and Michael Hennessy won this from Ml Fitzgerald (Cobh /Dan Morrisseys) John Murphy won the Senior B  Fergi O Conner of Fermoy CC took Gold in the senior C and Noel Mc Carthy finished in Silver Position in the Vets Section .All in ALL a good night for Fermoy CC

Over the weekend the National Championships were held in Carrick on Suir Saturday for the Vets and Waterford on Sunday for the elite mens.
Fermoys Vets team consisted of Defending Champion Anthony O Brien ,Brian Baker ,Donal Murphy and Noel Mc Carthy. 63 vets from all over Ireland North and South lined up at the start with local rider Martin O Loughlan the hot tipp and on this tough course he didnt disapoint coming home to win from a chase group of 6  with Sean Bracken in Silver And Andre Engerman in bronze Fermoys Noel Mc Carthy Finished 7th with Anthony O Brien 15th and Donal Murphy coming home in the top 20 riders .
On Sunday Fermoy had John Murphy  and Michael Hennessy competing in what was a gruelling 107 mile race ,all the european based professionals were on hand to fight it out for this national jersey.The entry was 127 riders so it was always going to be fast .
David O  Lough recorder his 3rd win in this event ahead of Paudi O Brien and Mark Cassidy
Michael Hennessy was in all the moves and finished 11th with John Murphy Again coming home 1st B  and 23rd overall  ,When you consider that there were 9 full time professionals in the in the top 10 these were fantastic results.
Next weekend the youth All Irelands are held in Ballinrobe and a large raiding party of Fermoy cyclists are expected compete.

Fermoy cc were in action in the Nolan Grand Prix last weekend held in Navan Co Meath
in the youth racing David Mc Carthy finished 5th U12 .
In the U 14 s Robert Jon Mc Carthy recorded his 5th win of the season ahead of stamullan rider Javan Nulty and David Boyd of the home club James Walsh also of Navan finished 4th with Fermoys Owen Mc Carthy 5th  and Simon Fox 6th.
Gary Burke of Fermoy s U16 squad  had a very good race to finish 3rd behind  race winner Ben Dowling of Bray and Benner Maguire of Drogheda Wheelers.

In The senior 2 race over a tough 90 mile circuit John Murphy Fermoy cc finished 2nd behind Stephen Sudvale of Orwell .
Next Wed evening the club runs the Cork County Championship on the the Grange Circuit Racing starts at 7 pm.