It seems like there's no off-season in Irish cycling, only the 'cross season! New club kit rep Michael Hanley takes us through his DCCX Punchestown experience below!

There was plenty of Orwell action across the plains of Meath and the hills of Carlow at the weekend, with Valdis Andersons winning a bunch sprint for 2nd, Tom Blennerhassett in the mix again, and a great showing for the women with Aideen Keenan, Monica Marconi and Claire McEntee all taking home prizes. Read on!

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.

The weekend was a busy one despite the lack of a St Patrick's Day race, and a very successful one - with two top ten finishes and a magnificent 6th overall for Tom Blennerhassett in Rás Maigh Eo, and Philippe Bourdarias taking 4th on the final stage. In Slane, Orla Hendron stayed out of trouble in the women's race to take 4th, and Mark Mulcahy earned 5th in the A4s. Off-road, the club had two top ten finishes in Ticknock with Jamal Ahmed and Eric Downey.

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!

A slightly delayed posting after a lovely Sunday spent between the Gerry Brannigan Memorial and the couch, this one comes in from Luke GJ Potter. He reports on the Orwell performances in the CX races across August and September, and we hope to see more as the season progresses!

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.

On the same day that Marcel Kittel sprinted to victory in Belfast, our own Bernard English did the same a little further south. Mark Mulcahy and Eamon Finn also placed at Dunsany, while earlier in the week Claire McEntee chalked up a superb time in Dundalk to take the Leinster 10TT title.

In a sign that CX is really taking off within the club, we have not one, not two, but three individual reports from the three races that took place last Sunday on Glencullen's greens. Breda Horan, Michael Hanley and Eric Downey all take us through their days: two of them scored 9th, and one a DNF - find out which below!

A contingent of ten Orwell Wheelers competed in the third round of the Fixx Cyclocross Series on Sunday. Valdis Andersons talks us through his second cyclocross race since getting the bug, and Mike Hanley returns with his regular CX feature!

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.

The weather could not have been more different, but Orwell riders brought home the bacon both days last weekend. In Summerhill, Tom Blennerhassett, David Halpin and Brian McNally lit it up on Dorey's Forge, while in Navan Ciara Kinch tore it up for second place, while Juniors Rachael Kaye-Mellor and Naoise Sheridan also took home prizes.

A gang of eight Orwell Wheelers took part in the Leinster Cyclocross Championships on Swords on Sunday.

A gorgeous evening in Mondello for the Club Champs saw Brian McArdle solo to victory, with defending champ Darragh Long coming in ahead of Brian Ahern at the front of the bunch.

The first 10TT of the club league saw a new course record from overall winner Brian McArdle, and some other great performances and new PBs across the field.

With the league now done and dusted, we dip back into the final two rounds - Brian McArdle's ascendency on Kilmashogue, and Sean Barry's victory in Glencullen.

While Pat O'Brien unleashed his trademark sprint to take the Scratch race, the talk of the night was newcomer Greg O'Donnell's outstanding win from Limit.
Update: Now with extra on-bike footage from Scratch race!

With both the DCCX and Fixx series of Cyclocross races decided, the sport transitions into championship season. The Leinster title has been awarded to Robin Seymour. The Irish National Cyclocross Championships are taking place in Rostrevor on January the 10th. Nestled neatly between these championships is the Orwell Wheelers Cyclocross Championships.

The opening round of the 2014 Orwell League saw some super fast times set for the Pine Forest course, with Eric Downey resuming where he left off for the 2013 league - at the top.