There must be something in the water in the Murnane household, with both races this week won by the emerging riders. Seán Murnane won a aggressive race on Wednesday, while Conor Murnane came out on top from a more negative competition on Thursday. All the action below, including videos of both finishes!

After successfully topping the Leisure participation competition for 2015, Eugène Dillon was presented with his winner's jersey last Saturday night. Below, he recounts sealing the win with his independent attack on the Raid Pyrénéen.

The TTT round of the league went down to the wire this year, with only six seconds separating the top two teams after the handicaps were applied, while the hill climb championships were even tighter, Fionn Sheridan winning by less than a second from Brian McArdle.

In late May, an Orwell Wheelers team of Tom Blennerhassett, Neal Hudson, Brian McArdle, Dick O'Brien and guest rider Michael Butler took to the start line of the 2015 An Post Rás. Ably assisted by soigneurs Mary Brady and Aishling Brady, mechanic Fionn Sheridan and managed by DS Pat O'Brien, they began an eight day trial that would test their physical and mental limits!

After last week's prologue, the bunches got into some fast and furious crit racing this week, with separate nights for the Limit and Scratch groups. John Blennerhassett emerged triumphant from the winning break on Wednesday, while Valdis Andersons once again displayed his dominance on Thursday.

Registration for the 2016 Orwell League will close at the end of February, so make sure you get your entries in before then. To whet your appetite for a bit of racing, we're finally publishing a round-up on last year's league, as well a report on the last round, won by Stephen Barry, with Colin Caesar hot on his heels.

Further along the age categories the seniors have been holding their own, with several big results in the last ten days. The A4s have enjoyed a great week's racing. Earlier last week, in the Boyne GP and St Patrick's Day race, Garry Blair and Brendan Lawless scored two smashing A4 victories, and Paul Kane took 4th in the latter. Lawless then earned his A3 upgrade with 3rd at the Des Hanlon, while Neal Hudson took an unplaced A2 prize. There were also two Orwells in the top ten for the women - Michelle Geoghegan and Brianne Mulvihill.

Ahead of tomorrow's Shay Elliot classic, we've put together an account of one of the other tough events of the Irish calendar - the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan. This year the riders were blessed by blazing sunshine for three of the four days, with standout rides from Aidan Collins and Eric Downey, though many of the Orwell contingent's chances were scuppered by crashes. Read on for all the details!

Veteran of two Rás campaigns, Brian Mc, recounts his third Rás in a row. Tight for training time and an early crash seek to thwart his aims of finishing. He also has one eye on the A2 Classification.

The June bank holiday saw Orwell riders in action both on the track and on the road, in racing and leisure, with two standout performances in Isabel Cogan's excellent victory at the Boyne GP, and Brian McArdle's superb stage win in the Rás Dhún na nGall. Plenty of other Orwell riders scooped prizes, most notably Orla Hendron who was second overall at the Duane Delaney GP.

We'll take advantage of a quiet Friday afternoon to do some catching up on the club league, going back to Conor Murnane's sprint to victory at the club champs in Mondello, and Damien Long's tactical masterstroke of a win on the Green Sheds.

Aideen Keenan notched up her most dominant win yet, soloing to victory in Clonmel at the weekend, ahead of the bunch gallop, which was taken by a flying Rachael Kaye-Mellor. Keenan followed that up with a tight second in Corkagh Park, which was also the scene of Helen Horan's début win from the B group! And last Thursday Conor Murnane pipped Arek Pierozynski for an excellent win R18 of the league on Dorey's Forge. Some men also raced in the Suir Valley 3 Day.

Nearly sixty riders signed on in gorgeous conditions last night, with two riders coming out on top in the senior races - Davids Maher and Halpin. A tie in the junior race meant both Uisneach Sheridan and Andrew Ryan claimed first place.

The last two rounds of the club league had a eerily familiar feel to them, with Brian McArdle taking a fine solo win at Mondello last week, and Dick O'Brien and Aideen Keenan demolishing their respective fields in the 10TT Championships last night. Conor Murnane was also crowned Junior 10TT Champion - the first time that title has been awarded in a quarter-century.

At Pine Forest last night, all eyes were on Dick O’Brien and Tom Blennerhassett after their recent Rás Mhaigh Eo showings, and they duly did their duty and delivered despite a dismal Dublin deluge dampening their deeds.

Mark Holland made it two in a row by following up his 2nd place last week with a fine win at the head of a bunch sprint in Corkagh on Wednesday, while yesterday Conor Murnane claimed his latest result from a three man sprint. All the action below!

An early evening deluge cleared for a perfect night's testing, as Dick O'Brien sealed another club championship in the face of stiff competition from Brian McArdle. Aideen Keenan took top honours for the women, while Sean Murnane and Naoise Sheridan set records for their categories.

Update: now with photo link.

Brian McArdle has been very active in Orwell since joining - both behind the scenes in his role as PRO and on the bike in the open races and in the Orwell Club League - excelling at both and taking the Club League in 2015.

Two full handicap road races over two weeks saw two winners take to the line with clear gaps over the bunch. The difference in the size of the gaps was substantial, as Scott Gilchrist's race-long solo break last night ended two minutes ahead of the chasers, while Brian McArdle's late attack last week gave him just enough for a comfortable victory.

It was a week for the testers, as the Club 10TT Champs clashed with the Nationals, with some outstanding results in both - Dick O'Brien dominating the former, and Claire McEntee setting a blistering time in the latter. Corkagh Park saw first a Horan haul, then an Orwell clean sweep, while three of the men completed the National Road Race Champs on Sunday.