Eoin Morton talks first win of season and room for improvement
Eoin Morton in full flight during a near 25km solo escape that won him Rás Naomh Finian (Photo with thanks to Joe Duffy)
Eoin Morton has said while satisfied with the form that brought him his first win of the year yesterday, he is hopeful his condition will improve as bigger goals in the months ahead get closer.
The UCD CC man was out on his own at the end of Rás Naomh Finian yesterday, having took flight from a breakaway group more 20km from the finish.
He had plenty of time to celebrate at the end of a tough contest, with the emerging Dermot Trulock (Lucan CRC) taking runner.
The always strong Niall Whelan from Laois rounded out the podium.
Morton said the Clonard RC-promoted event was testing despite the perception it’s one for the sprinters.
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“They say it’s an out and back course but it’s actually quite a good circuit; it’s quite up and down, lumpy enough,” he said of the course from Clonard to Kilbeggan and back again.
The race was handicapped, with the A1 group giving away two minutes to the A2s.
Morton said when the work rate in the A1 group was not what it should have been after the start, he broke clear for a period with Mark Reilly from Lucan CRC before being caught again.
With the A2s then caught just before the turnaround at Kilbeggan, Morton took off on his own into the headwind.
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“At the turn it went from a block headwind to a tailwind so I felt whoever had a gap coming out of the turn and into the tailwind; that would be the break that stayed away.”
Others came after him; Dermot Turlock (Lucan CRC), Paddy Clarke and some A2 riders.
And for about 5km they worked together, with Morton attacking again on a drag where the climbers’ prime was located on the way out to the turn.
Going solo from a long way out
“So I just rode in then; did a solo from about 20 to 25km out,” he added casually of his lone breakaway that proved the winning of the race.
“I got a decent gap of about 20 to 25 seconds. They were riding up and over behind me so it was tight.
“So I just keep working away in a big gear. I knew with the tailwind you don’t really need a huge amount of recovery time.
“I was just trying to hold back a bit on the rises and recover a bit going down them and then keep the power up on the flat.”
Asked whether he was going as well now as this time last year, when a string of victories including the VisitNenagh Classic and a stage in the Rás followed, Morton said he wasn’t sure.
“I suppose the form is decent enough, it will definitely improve. I’m still training heaps before races, I’m not tapering or any of that lark.
“I’m training into the races so hopefully the form will be decent. Last year I had a lot of luck and there is a big difference between Clonard and the Rás, so we’ll see how we get on come May.
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