Gareth O’Neill, Athlete Nutrition Coach Nordic Labs, back on the top step after resisting a strong late surge from Ciaran Maguire, Team Dan Morrissey Pissei.
A glorious sunny day as the riders set out from Donaghadee with the C2s given a 4-minute handicap.
They worked well together taking advantage of a strong tailwind on the outward section with speeds of over 60 kilometers an hour.
After three of the seven laps the C1s we’re closing in and just a minute off the head of the race.
Sparks flying
As the race hit the start of the fourth of seven laps, attacks were coming thick and fast off the front of the chasing C1s.
Javon McNulty, Unattached Leinster, Mitchell McLaughlin, Wheelbase CABTECH Castelli, Lindsay Watson, Caldwell Powerhouse Racing, Dean Harvey, McConvey Cycles, and Peter McLean, Bicycle Coffee Shop Velo Café Magasin, opening the hostilities.
Great to get the win. Feels like it’s a long time coming. A lot of seconds and a lot of disappointments over a couple of months. It’s just been about keeping the head really when you know the legs are there.
Gareth O’Neill, Athlete Coach Nutrition Nordic Lab
Gaps were starting to appear splitting the main bunch into several smaller groups.
Into the stiff headwind on the backend of the course there were now three groups. Group 2 approximately 30 seconds off, with Group 3 a further 20 seconds back and chasing hard.
By the backend of lap five of the seven, Groups 1 and 2 had merged with the remaining C1s about 20 seconds back. Race on!
THE move
With two laps to go Gareth O’Neill put in a well-timed committed attack and rode hard to stretch his lead out to approximately 50 seconds.
I just attacked over the start-finish line on the drag. Wasn’t really the plan to go solo, but when I looked around and I had the gap I just had to put the head down and commit.
Gareth O’Neill, Athlete Coach Nutrition Nordic Lab
He may have been hoping for reinforcements and this came on the last lap with Dean Harvey putting in a blistering ride to bridge across with about 10 kilometers to go.
The bunch was chasing hard and it looked as if the two-man break would be caught.
However, the strong tailwind up the finishing drag might have helped keep the chasers at bay…. just about!
Gareth O’Neill hung on for a well-deserved win followed closely by Ciaran Maguire, coming up just short with a monster sprint, while third place went to Dean Harvey.
Nathan Mullan, Banbridge CC, took fourth followed by Paul Kennedy, Burren CC, and Seán O’Kane, Pinergy Orwell Wheelers, with seventh place going to junior James Mackey, Foyle CC.
Top 15
- Gareth O’Neill – Athlete Nutrition Coach Nordic Labs
- Cairan Maguire – Team Dan Morrissey Pissei
- Dean Harvey – McConvey Cycles
- Nathan Mullan – Banbridge Cycling Club
- Paul Kennedy – Burren Cycling Club
- Seán O’Kane – Pinergy Orwell Wheelers
- James Mackey – Foyle Cycling Club
- Shane Trimble – Newry Wheelers
- Jack Lightfoot – St George Continental Cycling Team
- Javan Nulty – Unattached Leinster
- Peter McLean – Bicycle Coffee Shop Velo Café Magasin
- Darnell Moore – Caldwell Powerhouse Racing
- James Alexander – McConvey Cycles
- Elliott McKeegan – Caldwell Powerhouse Racing
- Jonathan Coen – Dromore Cycling Club
