Adam Armstrong was more than a little bit aggrieved at the manner in which he was beaten in the Phoenix GP by Eoin Morton. The ASEA Wheelworx man has hit out at winner for what he believes was an erratic manoeuvre in the gallop (Picture: Toby Watson)
By Brian Canty
Adam Armstrong has voiced his anger at the manner in which he was beaten in yesterday’s Phoenix GP.
The ASEA Wheelworx rider was a close runner-up to Eoin Morton, whom he said he respected, adding the UCD CC man rode well on his way to victory.
But he was irate at the manner in which Morton sprinted and he lodged an official complaint with the chief commissaire James McLaughlin afterwards.
- “I didn’t know how the legs would be, but I got Armstrong in the sprint”
- Eoin Morton pips Adam Armstrong as Phoenix GP splits to pieces
Armstrong believes the victory should be taken from Morton and be awarded to him.
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Stickybottle has sought clarification on the issue and has learnt that following a review of the available photographic and video evidence, no infringement was deemed to have taken place.
“I’m sickened at the way I lost,” Armstrong said of the sprint that saw himself and Morton go head-to-head slightly clear of the rest of the fragmented breakaway.
“I wasn’t happy with the sprint at the time and I’m still not happy,” he added, speaking last night before it was known the result would not be changed.
“I’m a fair sprinter; if I’m going left I take the left-hand side, if I’m going right I take the right-hand side."
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“I could get really uptight about it but I made a complaint to the commissaire. I’m happy to have put that complaint in.
“He’s made an enemy of a very strong rider,” continued a clearly fuming Armstrong of Morton.
“I do respect him because he is strong and he showed guts and all that but… I just don’t think it was right.
“I don’t have to make contact with anyone in a sprint but I literally had to lean on the guy so I wasn’t going to hit the back of a van. It was a wide road and a small group.
“They’ve called the race as Eoin winning and me finishing second so fair play to him, he’s got his first win of the year.”
When contacted this morning, Morton distanced himself from any wrongdoing and said: "I can't do anything from here, I'm a decent guy and I ride fairly.
"If the result changes then it changes but I don't want Adam holding a grudge against me and I have none against him.
"We're grown men with bigger lives outside cycling and a lot more important things to concern us.
"We'll be going to the Cycleways Cup next week and there'll be a bit of chatter but that's part and parcel of it and we just have to deal with it."
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