Here are some of the top performances by Ards CC riders over the years. Please let us know of any others you’d like to see added.
Charlie Henderson
Track champion in the 1940s, founding member of the modern club and former club president.
William (Billy) Kirk
Time Trial Records
- NI 25 miles – 58:28 (September 1955)
- NI and Irish 30 miles – 1:12:56 (April 1956) and 1:10:36 (June 1958)
- Irish 10 miles – 22:25 (July 1960)
Championships
- 1956 – Irish 25 and 100
- 1957 NI 100
- 1958 NI 25
- 1959 NI & Irish, represented Ireland at the Worlds in Amsterdam
- 1960 Irish 25
And perhaps most remarkably of all, Billy set a personal best for 25 miles of 57:59 in 2006, aged 69 years!
John Fennell
Irish 25 mile time trial champion in 1957, 1958 and 1959.
Billy Hudson
Multiple NI 25 mile TT champion, who broke the hour for 25 miles more than 100 times in his career. Joined Ards CC late in his career.
Robert Adair
- Irish Junior Road Race champion (1970)
- Irish 25 mile time trial record – 59:32 (1970)
- Stage winner in Tour of Ireland
Lennie Kirk
- 1977 – 1st in English Schools Cycling Association Championships
- 1982 – 2nd overall in Tour of Ireland
- 1982 – 3rd in Irish Senior Road Race championships
- Represented NI at Commonwealth Games 1978 and 1982
- 5 times Irish Track Sprint Champion.
Kirk Sloan
Irish Junior 25 mile time trail champion (1995?)
Paul McMinn and Gareth Crowthers
Irish Tandem 25 mile time trial record – 52:35 (2006)
Martyn Irvine
Check out wikipedia for the big ones.
Locally, Martyn made his break through with a solo win in the Armagh to Downpatrick race. He’s also won our own Tour of Ards.