Cleveland win Irish title

THE Cleveland Division Team rode an outstanding race to claim the team prize in the eight day, nine stage Junior Tour of Ireland last week.

The individual race was won by Thomas Evans of Belfast.

Cleveland's Chris Newton, Michael Wright, Ian Jones and Graeme Hatcher excelled in an international field of 164 riders, with many national teams including the USSR.

The race was run off at an average 27 mph over 500 miles of mainly narrow, poorly surfaced roads, with many days of rain.

Newton adapted well after several weeks of track racing including the Junior World Championships in Colorado Springs where he helped the GB team to fourth place in the Team Pursuit.

He soon found his climbing legs to gain second place on a hilly stage, finishing fifth overall.

Wright was holding fourth equal at one point until he contracted food poisoning, but still managed to finish 17th overall.

Jones and Hatcher, at first overawed by the event and both inexperienced, soon gained their confidence, Jones climbing from 40th overall to 14th at the finish, and Hatcher from 89th to 50th.

Team manager Jack Wright said "it was a pleasure with them and I will do so again any time, they worked so well as a team."