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Ulster Provincial Championships
The Ulster Provincial Championships took place near Armagh City, on a rolling 134k course, a real end of season test for the riders. Orwell had 2 men in contention for the medals, with Luke and Sean being on homeground. With a small bunch, the name of the game was getting ahead early with not many people wanting to close gaps for others. Luke and Sean were jumping with moves from the gun, as a strong crosswind put the group in the gutter. As the road turned, Sean jumped acros
lukekeaney2017
Sep 102 min read


Claire Diffley Selected for Leinster Team for Rás na mBan 2026
Orwell Wheeler's is delighted to announce that Claire Diffley has been selected to represent the Leinster team at Rás na mBan 2026, her second year competing in the prestigious stage race. Claire heads into the event in excellent form, having recently achieved an impressive three consecutive victories, winning the Maxi Maguire, Collins Christle and Mondello races. She will be joined on the Leinster team by fellow Orwell Wheeler's member Ysabella Huele, who rides with the Shay
lukekeaney2017
Sep 11 min read


Orwell Wheeler's Tackle the Swiss Alps
Twelve Orwell members headed to Ticino last week for a tour of the Swiss Alps, 523 km in five days, taking in many of Switzerland’s highest Alpine passes. On the trip were: Barry Greene, Brian Colfer, David Claes, Dick O'Brien, Dominic Cooney, Ian Devlin, John Cogavin, Jonathan O'Brien, Mark Mulcahy, Owen O'Flaherty, Ronan McGoldrick and Shaun Kelly, ably guided by Matteo Cigala and Marine Lenehan. Day one began from Bellinzona in the Italian speaking region of Switzerland. T
lukekeaney2017
Sep 12 min read


Padraig Moran Claims Leinster Senior Men Championship
Orwell Wheeler's secured a significant provincial championship success at the Leinster Road Race Championships in Clonard, Co. Meath, with Padraig Moran taking first place in the Senior Men category. The 2026 Leinster Road Race Championships were contested over six laps of a 12.5-kilometre circuit, with the senior and junior riders competing together. The demanding nature of championship racing produced an unsettled contest, with a number of attacks and attempts to establish
lukekeaney2017
Sep 12 min read


Evan Keane Crowned Munster Road Race Champion After Stunning Solo Ride
Evan Keane produced a ride to remember on Sunday, taking a brilliant victory at the Munster Road Race Championships in Whitechurch, Co. Cork. Keane claimed the Munster title after launching a huge long-range attack and riding solo for around 70km to take the championship gold medal in emphatic fashion. The Orwell rider, who has built a reputation as one of the strongest roadmen and sprinters in the domestic peloton, decided there would be no sprint this time around. Instead,
lukekeaney2017
Sep 11 min read


2026 Tour of Kildare
Over 40 Orwell cyclists signed up for the Tour of Kildare which took place today. It is a great event that brings you to the Curragh, Athy and back to Naas. Not too many hills in evidence so the climbing legs were left at home. There were two distances - 118 km and 65 km so we split into 4 groups 118 km Amber and Yellow and 65 km Yellow and White. Despite the forecast of heavy rain and possibly thunderstorms we all got around with only a small amount of rain to trouble us. A
Orwell Wheelers
Aug 301 min read


Bray Wheelers Festival of Racing
The Bray Wheelers Festival of Racing takes place on Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th September, with five races across what will be one of the biggest racing weekends the club has organised. The countries top male and female riders will descend on Wicklow. To make it happen, we need volunteers — and plenty of them! We know giving up your time is a big ask, so we want to be as clear as possible about the commitment involved. Saturday 19th September There are two races: 12:00 – P
Orwell Wheelers
Aug 272 min read


Katie Turner- National Champion 2026
Really happy with my last nationals as a youth. It’s always hard to put together the whole weekend but happy to podium across all three events . The TT was an out and back with a drag on the way out which meant the way back was fast. I knew the biggest difference would be made on the way out and the way back would be about getting the legs spinning. Happy to win it and pleased to see Jennifer on the podium . The road race was a rolling 56km course with a bit of a kicker on t
lukekeaney2017
Aug 251 min read
Strong Performances for Orwell Wheeler's at National Track Championships
Orwell Wheeler's recorded a number of strong performances at the opening day of the 2026 Irish National Track Championships, held at Sundrive Velodrome in Dublin on Saturday, 22 August. The club was represented across a range of senior track disciplines, with Sean Landers, Fionn Sheridan and Orla Hendron all producing competitive performances against Ireland's leading track riders. Landers Fourth in Individual Pursuit Sean Landers delivered one of the club's leading performan
lukekeaney2017
Aug 242 min read


IVCA Race Report – The Curragh
Orwell Wheeler's enjoyed a strong showing in the IVCA race in the Curragh on Sunday, August 23rd, with several excellent performances across the groups. Neal Hudson continued his fine form throughout the season with a smashing ride in the Red Group. Neal got away with Ro Killeen with 10km remaining and held on brilliantly to take 2nd place. In the White Group, Harry Rochford produced another strong performance to take silver, while Terry Ferries battled hard to finish 4th in
lukekeaney2017
Aug 241 min read


ICL Round 18 Poulaphuca
The final round of the 2026 Inter Club League took place on Thursday 21 August, bringing another successful season of racing to a close. It was a particularly successful evening for Orwell Wheelers’ Sean O’Kane, who came into the final round knowing that a victory was required to secure the Orwell club league title. Sean delivered when it mattered, finishing the season with 85 points and placing sixth overall, while also taking the Orwell club league championship. In his firs
lukekeaney2017
Aug 211 min read


Orwell Wheelers
Aug 190 min read


Tour of Ireland: Stage 5
Report from Joe Wheatley Stage 5 - Tour Captain and Route Master On Sunday afternoon, 16 August 2026, a group of Orwell cyclists successfully rolled into Derry, completing a challenging 4-day tour with, remarkably, zero punctures!. This tour was the latest stage of an epic multi-stage circumnavigation of Ireland connecting major landmarks across the country, which started with the club's historic Stage 1 Dublin-to-Cork route completed back in 2021. Stage 5 route hugged the ja
Orwell Wheelers
Aug 181 min read


Bobby Crilly Classic
Sunday, 16 August 2026 The Orwell Wheeler's were represented at the Bobby Crilly Classic, promoted by Phoenix Cycling Club, on a wet morning on the outskirts of Belfast. The men’s main event was initially halted after one lap of the original circuit due to the heavy volume of traffic on the course. At that stage, Luke had just managed to establish himself in the breakaway. Once the race was restarted, the attacks came thick and fast, with Sean O’Kane making his way into one o
lukekeaney2017
Aug 171 min read


Claire Diffley Wins Three in a Row!
Orwell Wheeler's rider Claire Diffley made it three wins in a row with a strong run of performances across the Maxi Maguire, Collins Christle and Mondello races. With just three weeks to go until Rás na mBan, Claire's run of form comes at an ideal time. Race 1 – Maxi Maguire The Maxi Maguire started with a smaller group, with the C3s setting off together. Over the three-lap race, we were caught by the C2s after about a lap and a quarter, which brought a big surge due to the s
lukekeaney2017
Aug 123 min read


Home Roads, Home Win: PJ O'Riordan Memorial 2026
Athea isn't far from home. I grew up in Abbeyfeale, just ten kilometres down the road, so lining up for the PJ O'Riordan Memorial felt less like racing and more like riding on home roads. Two days, three stages, a points-based GC, but my one goal going in was simple: win a stage. Stage one was a nice, short 16km circuit with a 2km drag uphill to the finish. On the third lap, a break of 11 riders went clear and I made sure I was in it. The gap held, just about, and with 400 me
lukekeaney2017
Aug 112 min read
IVCA Racing Report – Sunday, 9 August
Sunday’s IVCA race was an age-categorised handicap event. As is often the case with this format, the handicap presented a significant challenge, with the groups separated by a considerable time gap from the outset. The red group maintained a very strong pace throughout, working hard and riding consistently. However, despite the effort being made, we were still approximately three minutes behind the front of the race when we took the bell, making it extremely difficult to clos
lukekeaney2017
Aug 101 min read


A weekend of racing around Kilmessan
A weekend of racing around Kilmessan awaited us, with the same circuit being in action both days. On Saturday it was a short 50 minute race, so it was going to be fast from the gun. While usually with a handicapped race, there is a degree of cooperation at the beginning, there was attacks from the start with Gareth O’Neill and Matthew Walls being the main protagonists. With these short races, you have to take a more proactive approach with there usually being a smaller bunch,
lukekeaney2017
Aug 104 min read


North Down GP
Sean O'Kane finishes 6th Sean O'Kane produced another strong ride to finish 6th in Sunday's North Down GP after an aggressive and fast-paced handicap race. The C1 field was much larger than in the previous round, with around 20–25 riders on the start line. Racing alongside the C2 category in a handicap format, the course wasn't especially hilly but was exceptionally quick, with long exposed roads and plenty of flat, fast sections. The C1 group worked well together from the st
lukekeaney2017
Aug 52 min read


43rd Noel and Kieran Hammond TT 2026
Sun, August 2nd | Noel & Kieran Hammond Memorial TT Beehive, Co Wicklow Elite Men Noel Hammond TT 34.5km Johannes Rom Dahl Roadman CC 41.28 Matthew Wall APS PRO 42.46 Colin Clavin Steamstown CC 44.39 Elite Women 34.5km Linda Kelly Dan Morrissey 45.26 Sarah Diamond Unattached Leinster 48.22 Merve Kaygisiz Pinergy Orwell Wheelers 52.20 Road Bike Category Daniel Stone Roadman CC 47.39 Joe Nathan Matar Pinergy Orwell Wheelers 48.44 Stephen Connor Roadman CC 50.50 Junior Men Kiera
lukekeaney2017
Aug 51 min read
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