Mid-Devon cyclist triumphs in Tour of Ireland

Nick Makin won a stage of the prestigious Junior Tour of Ireland in a week when several of the Mid-Devon Cycling Club’s most promising young riders enjoyed impressive victories.

Riding ‘solo’, without teammates, 18-year-old Makin won a bunch sprint in the fourth stage at Ennis from a field of more than a hundred riders.

It was his fourth road race victory of a season which has seen him win in Belgium and the final stage of the Totnes-Vire Two-Day.

Espoir (Under-23) Piers Mahn took the scalp of some of the South West’s best seniors when he won the Alltrax CC’s 10-mile Time Trial on the S4 course (A38) between Dean Prior and Ashburton.

Mahn clocked 19mins 26secs, an average speed of 30.8mph, pipping former pro Steve Lampier (Kernow RT) by four seconds.

Third was MDCC’s Don Brooks (19.39) from Teignmouth and fourth Paignton’s Conrad Moss (NOPINZ) in 19.41.

MDCC also supplied the Ladies and Junior winners in Maria Weymouth (24.21) and Oliver Wade (22.24).

And Mid-Devon junior Ben Meek also broke the course record at Sourton near Okehampton when he won the SW 10m TT Championship in 20.14 (ave 29.6mph).