Carrick Wheeler's evergreen Martin O'Loughlin will be looking for further success in 2015.

Looking to build on a very successful 2014 campaign, the Carrick Wheelers annual riders’ meeting took place on Sunday 15th February 2015.

Aims and objectives were discussed during the meeting with a special emphasis being put on the development of our junior and under-23 riders, including Aaron Kearney, Cathal Purcell, Jack O’Donnell, Mark Bergin, Conor Hennebry and Jamie Blanchfield.

The club is in a very healthy place at the moment with many underage riders coming through our system, a tribute to the annual Faugheen youth league which will take place again in 2015, starting in May.

Main targets for the early part of the year include the Gorey Three Day and Rás Mumhan over Easter and the Kanturk Three Day over the May holiday.

Objectives later in the year include the various national championships and, for juniors, the International Junior Tour of Ireland with the club intent on a strong showing here.

Riders have been busy over the winter preparing for the season ahead and let’s hope that their efforts are amply rewarded.

Unfortunately as of 2015 Carrick Wheelers do not have a sponsor which is limiting our funding and prohibiting opportunities usually offered, particularly to the younger riders. Potential sponsors are encouraged to the Club Chairman, John Dempsey, on johndempsey1979@hotmail.com. The club is grateful to Iverk Produce for their support over the previous three years.

The club expresses its congratulations to its Honorary Vice-President, Sam Bennett, on his win in last week’s Tour of Quatar, let’s hope that it is the first of many throughout 2015.

Jamie Blanchfield

Bicycle Rental Scheme

Cllr O’Neill was reacting to the news that Coke Zero has come on board to sponsor the bikes in Cork, Limerick and Galway but Waterford has been unable to get the backing of a sponsor for the scheme.

He was speaking at the January meeting of the Metropolitan District, during a discussion on roads.

Also during the meeting, Mayor Lola O’Sullivan praised recent coastal improvement works, adding that Tramore’s Back Strand and Prom “looks great”. She queried the possibility of looking at disabled access at Newtown Cove and the Guillamene.

Cllr Breda Brennan asked that the Council contact the National Transport Authority to query concerns that the St John’s Park bus route was under threat.

“This route services a huge residential area, not to mention a special needs school and is hugely important to the community,” she said.

Cllr Pat Fitzgerald raised a stretch of road between Faithlegg Church and the local school which is ‘full of potholes’.

Cllr Fitzgerald said people were speeding on the road, to the extent that many local people were afraid to drive on it at night. Senior Engineer Pat McCarthy said the road could be considered under the road works programme, with the possibility of some ‘patchwork’ being done.

Cllr Adam Wyse asked the Council to investigate the possibility of putting a new pedestrian crossing outside the Odeon Cinema.