Ladies’ Leagues

With the largest population of racing women in the country, Orwell are increasingly dominant on the domestic scene, and the tally of this year’s results proves that beyond doubt!

With the largest population of racing women in the country, Orwell are increasingly dominant on the domestic scene, and the tally of this year’s results proves that beyond doubt!

What other club can boast placings in every round of the two Dublin crit leagues, as well as the National League? Though Anne Dalton moved on to DID Electrical during the season, we like to credit her victories to her Orwellian upbringing, and she earned a string of victories this year. Trish Buckley took two outright wins in the Orwell Wheelworx league to seal the overall title, after her second place last year – which was secured by Orla Hendron this year.

The list below doesn’t include open wins or placings outside the leagues, such as Isabel Cogan‘s triumph at the Boyne GP, or Monica Marconi‘s victory in Kilmessan. Our active youth and underage members like Rachael Kaye-Mellor and Naoise Sheridan are also under-represented, but have both had very successful seasons, including trips abroad with the Neenan Travel T2020 Team, managed by our own Orla Hendron.

Hendron herself gave strong performances throughout the year, along with the likes of Sandra Telford, Charlotte MacDonald, Ciara Kinch and Lucy Soden (who won the women’s title in the Orwell league), and it’s great to see new names appearing in the placings, like Gráinne Coghlan in the Corkagh Park league.

Not only were Orwell active within the races, but in the organising as well – the hard-working duo of Dave Mc and Aideen Collard have run the Wheelworx-sponsored crit league for the last few years, ably assisted by Jen Sheridan and a host of other volunteers. The peerless Siobhán O’Connor then continued the racing into the summer with the Corkagh Park league, with Orwell also acting as marshalls on the opening night. Mags Donnelly is active on the Leinster commission, while at a national level Orla Hendron is CPO for Cycling Ireland, and on the women’s commission we have Sandra Telford as PRO. Focusing on women’s racing, Monica Marconi coordinates the National League (which is sponsored by Dave Tansey‘s Joe Daly Cycles), while Orwell organise the Trek Classic League.

Closer to home, the club members have been well looked after under the tutelage of Louise Nicholls and Kathryn Keogh, and Celeste Marin before her return to the US. On top of that trio, many of the afore-mentioned are also instrumental, and it’s nigh on impossible to list every name in every role, such is the quality and quantity of the work done – and apologies if we’ve missed anyone.

Each of the above do massive amounts of contribute to the cycling scene in Ireland, and we’re proud of each and every one! And without further ado, a comprehensive list of the Orwell women’s achievements in the various leagues this year! Note that this doesn’t include championship or stage races.

Wheelworx Orwell Crit League

R1: Pine Forest TT, 9/4/2013 Monica Marconi – 3rd Ciara Kinch – 4th Isabel Cogan – 6th Lucy Soden – 10th Rachael Kaye-Mellor – 15th Helen Murray – 20th Emma Convey – 22nd Grainne Coghlan – 25th Celeste Marin – 29th Diane Crean – 30th Siobhan McNamara – 31st Marina Bakhtina – 32nd Ursula Noone – 37th

R2: Sandyford Crit, 16/4/2013 Sandra Telford – 2nd A Rachael Kaye-Mellor – 3rd A Patricia Buckley – 4th A Orla Hendron – 5th A Charlotte MacDonald – 7th A Ciara Kinch – 8th A Monica Marconi – 9th A Lucy Soden – 10th A Siobhan O’Connor – 2nd B Celeste Marin – 10th B

R3: Corkagh Park Crit, 23/4/2013 Orla Hendron – 2nd A Patricia Buckley – 3rd A Anne Dalton (DID) – 4th A Monica Marconi – 6th A Isabel Cogan – 8th A Charlotte MacDonald – 9th A Celeste Marin – 9th B Grainne Coghlan – 10th B

R4: Sandyford Crit, 30/4/2013 Patricia Buckley – 3rd A Sandra Telford – 5th A Orla Hendron – 7th A Isabel Cogan – 9th A Rachel Kaye-Mellor – 10th A Celeste Marin – 7th B Grainne Coghlan – 10th B

R5: Points Race, Corkagh Park, 7/5/2013 Patricia Buckley – 1st A Orla Hendron – 2nd A Rachael Kaye-Mellor – 3rd A Monica Marconi – 6th A Siobhan O’Connor – 9th A

R6: Sandtford Crit, 14/5/2013 Patricia Buckley – 1st A Anne Dalton (DID) – 3rd A Orla Hendron – 4th A Isabel Cogan – 5th A Monica Marconi – 7th A Lucy Soden – 8th A Grainne Coghlan – 9th B

Final GC Patricia Buckley – 1st A Orla Hendron – 2nd A Monica Marconi – 5th A Rachael Kaye-Mellor – 6th A Isabel Cogan – 7th A Charlotte MacDonald – 10th A Lucy Soden – 13th A Sandra Telford – 15th A Siobhan O’Connor – 16th A Ciara Kinch – 17th A Anne Dalton (DID) – 19th A Emma Convey – 23rd A Naoise Sheridan – 28th A Helen Murray – 30th A Mags Donnelly – 34th A Grainne Coghlan – 8th B Celeste Marin – 9th B Ursula Noone – 11th B Siobhán McNamara – 19th B Diane Crean – 20th B Marina Bakhtina – 24th B

Corkagh Park Series

R1 – 4/6/2013 Rachael Kaye-Mellor – 3rd A Charlotte MacDonald – 4th A Isabel Cogan – 6th A

R2 (Points) – 11/6/2013 Charlotte MacDonald – 4th

R3 – 18/6/2013 Sandra Telford – 2nd Orla Hendron – 3rd

R4 – 25/6/2013 Monica Marconi – 2nd A

R5 – 2/7/2013 Isabel Cogan – 4th A Siobhán O’Connor – 6th A

R6 – 9/7/2013 Anne Dalton (DID) – 1st A

R7 – 16/7/2013 Orla Hendron – 3rd A Clare Glanville – 2nd B Gráinne Coghlan – 3rd B

R8 – 23/7/2013 Anne Dalton (DID) – 1st A Charlotte MacDonald – 2nd A

R9 – 6/8/2013 Monica Marconi – 3rd A

R10 – 13/8/2013 Gráinne Coghlan – 3rd B

R11 – 20/8/2013 Monica Marconi – 2nd Charlotte MacDonald – 4th

R12 – 27/8/2013 Anne Dalton (DID) – 1st A Rachael Kaye-Mellor – 2nd A

Joe Daly Cycles’ Women’s National League

R1: Rás an Laois, Rathdowney, 31/3/2013 Anne Dalton – 2nd Orla Hendron – 6th Ciara Kinch – 8th

R2: Coombes-Connor Memorial, Donore, 21/4/2013 Sandra Telford – 4th

R3: McHugh Cup, Bohermeen, 28/4/2013 Anne Dalton (DID) – 1st Sandra Telford – 2nd Rachael Kaye-Mellor – 7th

R4: Dunsany GP, Dunsany, 12/5/2013 Anne Dalton (DID) – 3rd Patricia Buckley – 6th Isabel Cogan – 7th Orla Hendron – 8th

R5: Sorrento 10TT, 20/7/2013 Anne Dalton (DID) – 2nd Charlotte MacDonald – 4th Monica Marconi – 5th Lucy Soden – 6th

R6: Brendan Campbell Memorial, Donore, 28/7/2013 Anne Dalton (DID) – 2nd Charlotte MacDonald – 5th Monica Marconi – 7th

Final GC Anne Dalton (DID) – 1st Sandra Telford – 4th Monica Marconi – 8th Charlotte MacDonald – 10th Orla Hendron – 11th Lucy Soden – 12th Isabel Cogan – 15th Ciara Kinch – 17thPatricia Buckley – 20thRachael Kaye-Mellor – 27thMags Donnelly – 37th

Trek Ladies’ Classic League

R1: Rás Clár, Ennis, 9/6/2013 Monica Marconi – 3rd Sandra Telford – 5th

R2: Bunclody, 7/7/2013 Anne Dalton (DID) – 1st Isabel Cogan – 7th