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!

The 2015 Joe Daly Cycles National League opened in Blarney last Sunday, and Orwell took home a tremendous result - racing sophomore Ann Horan taking the bunch gallop for 2nd behind National Champion Fiona Meade. She takes us through the race below!

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.

Aideen Keenan was once again on the podium in Corkagh Park, and regular placer Helen Horan matched her bronze medal, all while the pair - along with Monica Marconi - organised the races and hosted a great evening of women's racing.

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.

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!

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!

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 Easter holidays must've provided plenty of opportunities for resting or training, as the prize winners for the women this week included two teachers and student Naoise Sheridan! From Rás an Laois to the first round of the Women's Crit League, we've got it all below!

Last weekend in Donore, two riders from different ends of the spectrum both got themselves on the podium. Ciara Kinch continued her winning streak with silver in the women's race, while Garry Blair matched her result to take his first ever open points! Read on for the details from both riders...

On a damp and dismal day in Dundalk, Monica Marconi netted herself a great third place in the women's race at the Trader's Cup.

It was another big weekend for the club, with Brian McArdle's dominance of the KOH competition in the Newry 3 Day undoubtedly being the highlight. Philippe Bourdarias also earned his upgrade to A2 after nipping in for 6th in Mullingar on Sunday, while Oisín Boland took a fine 4th in the A3 race. (Updated with A3 results.)

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.

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.

At last we come to the catch-up on the open action! Ciara Kinch's win in the women's race at Moynalty was the only result of note on the road that weekend, but last weekend we had a host of Orwell placings, including Rachael Kaye-Mellor's First Woman prize at Sorrento's 10TT, and Keith Harte's 3rd in A4 in the Seamus Kennedy Memorial, prompting his upgrade to A3. Monica Marconi also netted 3rd for the women on the day, with Tom Blennerhassett taking home an unplaced A2 prize.

It's been a couple of months since the apex of the women's road racing, An Post Rás na mBan came and went in a flurry of activity and it's a good time to reflect on a couple of typically dogged and superbly athletic performances from two of the club's most talented vets.

With a great haul over the last couple of weeks, it's time we covered the club's senior open racing results for the last month or so. Diarmuid Collins' CX win stands out, as does Jules Cantwell's 2nd out west - he gives his account below! Envelopes also for Monica Marconi, Garry Blair, Kilian Doyle, Ken O'Neill while the Juniors are always picking up prizes regardless! We've also got some more of the women's results from Aideen Keenan, Ann Horan and Emily Brick!

Aidan Collins brought home the best results of the weekend for the club, with a 4th in the Stamullen GP on Sunday, and an unplaced prize on Friday. Odhrán Connors and Stephen Barry also featured in Stamullen, while the Orwell women were active in Nenagh, with a TTT win, and placings for Ciara Kinch and Monica Marconi.

On the women's open scene, Monica Marconi scored an emphatic victory in Wexford for the final round of the National League, while Ciara Kinch came home a fine 5th. Kinch then went on to notch up Gold in the Leinster Hill Climb Champs, with Aideen Keenan in silver a mere 7" behind her. And Orla Hendron displayed rude form at the Track Champs to take home two national medals, while Rachel Glendon also won silver in the National Middle Distance Triathlon Champs.
Update: now with hill climb podium pic, and news of Naoise Sheridan's track league medal!

The Orwell women sent a team of eight women to compete in the inaugural Newcastle West 2 Day stage race two weeks ago - Mary Brady, Orla Hendron, Ann Horan, Breda Horan, Helen Horan, Monica Marconi, Siobhán O'Connor and Naoise Sheridan. Along with them was Stephen Rowan in a supporting role, and together the team got through a weekend of hard racing - check out Ann Horan's account below!