Evan Keane, Pinergy Orwell Wheelers, produced a dominant solo ride to win the 2026 Munster Road Race.
Blarney Cycling Club hosted the 2026 Munster Road Race Championships in Whitechurch, Co. Cork on Sunday 30th August.
Patrick O’Loughlin, Panduit Carrick Wheelers, took silver after a hard-fought finish, with James Griffin, Waterford Racing Club, claiming bronze in a tight sprint.
The combined C1, C2, C3 and Junior Men set out for six laps of the 17km lumpy circuit around the village of Whitechurch, just outside Blarney, rolling out at 1pm. The Masters and women’s race followed a few minutes later over five laps.
Conditions were testing. Roads were wet from heavy morning rain that continued for much of the afternoon, broken only by occasional sunny spells. There was some wind and temperatures sat in the high teens.
Early moves and Keane’s solo
The race was aggressive from the start with frequent attacks. Early on the first lap James Connolly, Dungarvan Cycling Club, opened a gap of around 20 seconds but was reeled back.
By the end of the second lap Keane and Padraig O’Sullivan had moved clear. At the start of the third circuit Keane pressed on alone.
He attacked hard on the climbs, got low and aero on the descents and simply kept the tempo high. The gap grew steadily.
By the end of lap three it stood at 55 seconds. O’Loughlin then launched his own move near the top of the climb into the village finish line.
The chase intensifies
Keane continued to power clear in his distinctive swashbuckling style. By the end of the fourth lap he held roughly a minute and a half over O’Loughlin, who himself had stretched out a one-minute advantage on the group behind.
I knew if I really hit up the climb and then just got aero enough, kept the tempo on the descent, I could maintain the gap.
Evan Keane, Pinergy Orwell Wheelers
O’Loughlin himself with a gap to the chase group of over two minutes at one stage.
On the final lap the silver medal still looked secure for the Panduit Carrick Wheelers rider, but the effort was taking its toll. He began to cramp badly.
A three-man chase of Griffin, O’Sullivan and Stephen Gillman closed the gap, catching him on the last climb into the village with around 2km remaining. A cross-headwind made the final efforts particularly hard.
Final stretch decides podium
Over the top of that climb Gillman attacked on the drop toward the finish. O’Loughlin managed to go with him, went past, and opened a small gap on the other two before holding on in a very hard sprint, full of lactic, to secure second place. Griffin came past Gillman by the narrowest of margins to take the bronze medal.
Keane had already raised the hands unchallenged for a thoroughly deserved victory, to add to his impressive season. What a ride!
O’Loughlin was delighted with his best-ever result at the Munster Championships after two months away from racing. Griffin was equally satisfied with a hard-earned podium after a day of constant attacks in the wet.
On to the Bray Wheelers Festival of Racing racing series 18th and 19th September for the Munster Champion before calling it a day for the 2026 season.
Race highlights
Men’s Podium
- Evan Keane – Pinergy Orwell Wheelers
- Patrick O’Louughlin – Panduit Carrick Wheelers
- James Griffin – Waterford Racing Club
C2 Podium
- Stephen Gillman – O’Leary Stone Kanturk Cycling Club
- Ben O’Keefe – Newcastle West CC
- Dean O’Brien – Blarney CC
C3 Podium
- Pat Dundas – Unattached Munster
- John O’Farrell – Midleton Cycling Club
- Stephen Shanahan – Limerick CC
Women’s Podium
- Amy Dawson – Unattached Munster
- Amy O’Leary – Carrigdhoun Cycling Club
Masters M40
- Mark Shannon – Burren CC
- Daryl Kearns – Dungarvan CC
- Marcus Flavin – Dungarvan CC
Masters M50
- Dermot Radford – Team Dan Morrissey Pissei
- Martin McLaughlin – Panduit Carrick Wheelers
- Bruno Coppola – Greenmount Cycling Academy
Masters M60
- Tom Shannon – Limerick Cycling Club
- Dennis Forrest – Blarney CC
- Liam Kennedy – Greenmount Cycling Academy
Team Prize
- Overall Masters Champions Dungarvan CC
