The Orwell vets have been cleaning up again, with Ciara Kinch, Barry Dace and William Parnell all notching up wins since our last update.

The first and possibly greatest accolades go to Ciara Kinch, who on the 22nd July, became the first ever woman to win the Alfresco Shield. A 25 Mile TT event held at Black Bull, the vets' complicated handicap system applied, and Kinch took full advantage with her current flying form, knocking a chunk off her previous best.

We'll have more on Kinch's fantastic performance at Donore shortly.

Kinch in action earlier in the year

The Alfresco Shield was previously won by Lloyd Berry in 2012, who took 3rd the following weekend, ahead of Leslie Walpole. That was one of the set of CP races making up the Henry Whelen Memorial, held in honour of one of the founding members of Orwell Wheelers. There was some controversy in the race, as two high finishers were relegated, and Eddie Lynch had the misfortune to puncture out - and on his birthday too! He's also won the Alfresco Shield too, in the far distant, murky past of the 20th Century.

Walpole pedalling with Lynch

Berry taking 3rd in a stretched out sprint

On Tuesday night this week, while the Orwell women were on the rampage in Corkagh Park, the vets were doing the same over Dorey's Forge. Barry Dace chalked up yet another win in the A race, again from a break. And William Parnell has been making his mark all season long in the C group, and once more triumphed this week.

For Dace, it was a fast a furious affair as ever given the short distance. He managed to escape alone on the end of the first lap - the halfway mark 0 and was joined by Len Carrigan (Dublin Wheelers) and Barry Swan (Smartlamp). All three riders committed fully to the task and they managed to hold off the bunch all the way to the finish. A hard fought, three-up gallop to the line up the hill at Dorey's Forge followed, with Dace just managing to pip the others in a close sprint - check out the photo below. He was delighted to take another win again, a great boost to morale along with consistent placings both in the IVCA League as well as the Orwell League..

Dace beating his breakaway companions on the line

Parnell sprinting to glory

The only thing stopping Kinch from contributing a placing was marshalling duties, but it's clear that the veterans of the club are collectively going through a purple patch, and long may it continue!

All photos thanks to Brendan Culleton.

Alfresco Shield, Black Bull (22/7/2014)

1 Ciara Kinch 1:05:39
2 Peter Rice 1:16:08
3 Cathal Murray 0:59:21

Henry Whelan Memorial 2014, Curragh (27/7/2014)

Race #1
1 Dylan Rafter
2 Damian Doyle
3 Andrew Kavanagh
4 Paul O Connor
5 Greg Burke
6 Billy Bourke

Race #2
1 Glenn Cobain
2 Ger Madden
3 Lloyd Berry
4 Les Walpole
5 Dave Kelly
6 Tom Malone

Race #3
1 Sean Lally
2 Peter Schweppe
3 Fred Harte
4 Hugh Davis
5 Paddy Davis
6 Dermot McGrath

Vets League - R20, Dorey's Forge (29/7/2014)

Race #1
1 Barry Dace
2 Len Carrigan
3 Barry Swan
4 Will Byrne
5 Paul Cullinan
6 Noel Thompson
7 Leslie Walpole
8 John Brady
9 Mick Kinsella
10 Dylan Rafter

Race #2
1 Ger Hannigan
2 Don Samway
3 Sean Lally Snr
4 Quentin Jansen
5 Jimmy Stagg
6 Damien Lyle Stirling
7 Brian Kilbride
8 Michael McEntee
9 Kevin McFeely
10 Eamonn Walsh

Race #3
1 William Parnell
2 George O Rourke
3 Eamonn Newton
4 Peter Schweppe
5 Colm Conway
6 Fred Harte
7 JJ Boylan
8 Pat Walsh
9 Paddy Davis
10 Eddie Dunne