Eurocycles’ Fraser Duncan running riot at “Spin11 Portaferry Three-Day”

Adam Armstrong (far left) with Fraser Duncan (in green) just after Duncan took the yellow jersey today (Photo: Dany Blondeel)

Fraser Duncan of the Eurocycles team is having a weekend to savour at the “Spin11 Portaferry Three-Day” in Co Down, holding the yellow and green jerseys going in to the final stage tomorrow, Sunday.

Duncan was third on the opening 30-mile stage on the Kirkistown Motor Racing Circuit on Friday night, with Glenn Kinning (East Antrim Audi) taking the win and the first yellow jersey.

However, Duncan took all three intermediate sprints on the night and moved into the lead in the points classification for his efforts.

When the race split this morning on the 53 mile road race stage on the Loughdoo circuit, Duncan was the only one of Friday night’s winning move to make the escape.

With six men up the road, they combined well and pulled out a lead of 1:48 by the finish. German rider Christop Schweizer galloped in for the win, his second victory in less than a week after taking the Mondello race track stage of the Leinster Three-Day in Co Kildare on Tuesday night. Duncan was next home this morning, followed Alastair Macauley (Phoenix CC) in third.

The result was enough for Duncan to take the outright lead from Kinning going into this afternoon’s two mile time trial, which like the morning road stage took in the climb of Windmill Hill.

The Eurocycles man blasted down the course in the fastest time, thus extending his lead overall and in the points competition.

He clocked a time of 4mins 26secs, some eight seconds faster than the in-form Schweizer with Peter Hawkins of IG Sigma Sport in third a further two seconds down.

Duncan takes the yellow jersey into tomorrow’s concluding stage – a 43 mile road race – with 1:49 to spare on second placed Schweizer. He also leads the points competition; with 40 points to the 18 points won so far by Schweizer. Eurocycles also leads the team classification.

With strong men around him like Thomas Martin and Adam Armstrong, it will take something very spectacular to deny the flying Duncan the winner’s yellow and green jerseys at the end of tomorrow’s five-lap stage, featuring a climb each time.

Stage 2 Results – 53 mile Road Race today, Saturday

1 Christop Schweizer Team Nutrixxion 1:40:32
2 Fraser Duncan Eurocycles @4 secs
3 Alastair Macauley Phoenix CC @12
4 Liam Curran Curran Racing @23
5 Adam Armstrong Eurocycles @28
6 Peter Hawkins Sigma Sport @1:48
7 James McMaster Curran Racing
8 Desi Foley Phoenix CC
9 Thomas Martin Eurocycles
10 Andrew Hedley Chain Reaction Cycles
11 Cathal Smyth Phoenix CC
12 Devon McIlwaine Duffin Transport
13 Conor Hanna North Down CC
14 Sean Donnelly Team Vision Racing
15 John Heverin Clann Eireann
16 Gary Cranston East Antrim CC
17 Stephen Harkens Madigan
18 Bryan McKinney Duffin Transport
19 Ronnie Smyth Dromara CC
20 Damian McDonald Team Vision Racing
21 David McKnight Team Vision Racing
22 Aaron McGrady Dromara CC
23 Kevin Lynch Newry Wheelers
24 Brian Steel Team Vision Racing
25 Des Woods Newry Wheelers
26 Jay Gault Phoenix CC
27 Marcel Kock Phoenix CC
28 Glenn Kinning East Antrim CC
29 Anthony Quinn Dromara CC
30 Fergus Rooney Phoenix CC
31 Shane Farren North Down CC
32 Gareth Murray Ards CC
33 Brian Stewart Phoenix CC A
34 Peter Kennedy East Antrim CC
35 Stephen Beck East Antrim CC A3 al same time
36 Kyle Houston Chain Reaction Cycles @2:23
37 Lindsay Gamble Ards CC @4:26
38 Mark Watson Ards CC DNF
39 Paul Ferguson North Down CC DNS

Points Competition

Intermediate Sprint 1
1 Fraser Duncan Eurocycles 5
2 Liam Curran Curran Racing 3
3 Alastair Macauley Phoenix CC B 1

Intermediate Sprint 2
1 Christop Schweizer Team Nutrixxion 5
2 Fraser Duncan Eurocycles 3
3 Liam Curran Curran Racing 1

Intermediate Sprint 3
1 Fraser Duncan Eurocycles 5
2 Christop Schweizer Team Nutrixxion 3
3 Alastair Macauley Phoenix CC B 1

Team Competition

1 Eurocycles A. Armstrong, F. Duncan, T. Martin 5h03'56"
2 Phoenix CC A D. Foley, F. Rooney, B. Stewart 5h07'00"
3 Team Vision Racing S. Donnelly, D. McKnight, B. Steel 5h07'00"
4 Dromara CC A. McGrady, A. Quinn, R. Smyth 5h07'00"
5 East Antrim CC S. Beck, G. Cranston, G. Kinning 5h07'00"

General Classification after stage 2

1 Fraser Duncan Eurocycles 2h47'45"
2 Glenn Kinning East Antrim CC 2h49'25" 01'40"
3 Christop Schweizer Team Nutrixxion 2h49'26" 01'41"
4 Thomas Martin Eurocycles 2h49'27" 01'42"
5 John Heverin Clann Eireann 2h49'30" 01'45"
6Gary Cranston East Antrim CC 2h49'30" s/t
7 Marcel Kock Phoenix CC 2h50'05" 02'20"
8 Desi Foley Phoenix CC 2h50'56" 03'11"
9 Devon McIlwaine Duffin Transport 2h50'56" s/t
10 Conor Hanna North Down CC 2h50'56" s/t
11 Kevin Lynch Newry Wheelers 2h50'56" s/t
12 David McKnight Team Vision Racing 2h50'56" s/t
13 Des Woods Newry Wheelers 2h51'20" 03'35"
14 Alastair Macauley Phoenix CC 2h51'31" 03'46"
15 Kyle Houston Chain Reaction Cycles 2h51'31" s/t
16 25 Shane Farren North Down CC 2h51'34" 03'49"
17 7 Liam Curran Curran Racing 2h51'42" 03'57"
18 Adam Armstrong Eurocycles 2h51'47" 04'02"
19 Cathal Smyth Phoenix CC 2h51'57" 04'12"
20 Stephen Harkens Madigan 2h51'57" s/t
21 Fergus Rooney Phoenix CC 2h52'39" 04'54"
22 Sean Donnelly Team Vision Racing 2h53'07" 05'22"
23 Andrew Hedley Chain Reaction Cycles 2h53'07" s/t
24 Peter Hawkins Sigma Sport 2h53'07" s/t
25 Ronnie Smyth Dromara CC 2h53'07" s/t
26 Brian Steel Team Vision Racing 2h53'07" s/t
27 Bryan McKinney Duffin Transport 2h53'07" s/t
28 Brian Stewart Phoenix CC 2h53'07" s/t
29 Jay Gault Phoenix CC 2h53'07" s/t
30 Stephen Beck East Antrim CC 2h53'07" s/t
31 Peter Kennedy East Antrim CC 2h53'07" s/t
32 Gareth Murray Ards CC 2h53'07" s/t
33 Damian McDonald Team Vision Racing 2h54'56" 07'11"
34 Lindsay Gamble Ards CC 2h55'45" 08'00"
35 James McMaster Curran Racing 2h57'07" 09'22"
36 Aaron McGrady Dromara CC 2h57'07" s/t
37 Anthony Quinn Dromara CC 2h57'07" s/t

Points Competition

1 Fraser Duncan Eurocycles 40
2 Christop Schweizer Team Nutrixxion 18
3 Glenn Kinning East Antrim CC 13
4 Thomas Martin Eurocycles 12
5 Liam Curran Curran Racing 7
Alastair Macauley Phoenix CC B 7
7 Gary Cranston East Antrim CC 6
8 John Heverin Clann Eireann 2

Team Competition

1 Eurocycles 8h28'59"
2 East Antrim CC 8h32'2"
3 Phoenix CC A 8h32'58"
4 Team Vision Racing 8h37'10"
5 Dromara CC 8h47'21"

Results of Stage 3 – 2 Mile TT this afternoon, Saturday

1 Fraser Duncan Eurocycles 04:26
2 Christop Schweizer Team Nutrixxion 04:34
3 Peter Hawkins Sigma Sport 04:36
4 Gary Cranston East Antrim CC 04:44
5 Thomas Martin Eurocycles 04:45
6 Marcel Kock Phoenix CC 04:47
7 John Heverin Clann Eireann 04:47
8 Devon McIlwaine Duffin Transport 04:48
9 Glenn Kinning East Antrim CC 04:51
10 Desi Foley Phoenix CC 04:54
11 Bryan McKinney Duffin Transport 04:55
12 Cathal Smyth Phoenix CC 04:55
13 Ronnie Smyth Dromara CC 04:56
14 David McKnight Team Vision Racing 04:59
15 Conor Hanna North Down CC 04:59
16 Andrew Hedley Chain Reaction Cycles 05:00
17 Alastair Macauley Phoenix CC 05:00
18 Kevin Lynch Newry Wheelers 05:00
19 Jay Gault Phoenix CC 05:01
20 Adam Armstrong Eurocycles 05:01
21 Brian Steel Team Vision Racing 05:03
22 Sean Donnelly Team Vision Racing 05:03
23 Stephen Harkens Madigan 05:03
24 Aaron McGrady Dromara CC 05:04
25 Des Woods Newry Wheelers 05:05
26 Fergus Rooney Phoenix CC 05:09
27 Stephen Beck East Antrim CC 05:10
28 Shane Farren North Down CC 05:10
29 Kyle Houston Chain Reaction Cycles 05:10
30 Anthony Quinn Dromara CC 05:12
31 Brian Stewart Phoenix CC 05:15
32 Damian McDonald Team Vision Racing 05:16
33 Peter Kennedy East Antrim CC 05:16
34 Gareth Murray Ards CC 05:21
35 Lindsay Gamble Ards CC 05:37
36 Liam Curran Curran Racing 05:39
37 James McMaster Curran Racing 06:39

Team Competition – Stage 3 Result

1 Eurocycles A. Armstrong, F. Duncan, T. Martin 0h14'12.20"
2 Phoenix CC A D. Foley, M. Kock, C. Smyth 0h14'37"
3 East Antrim CC S. Beck, G. Cranston, G. Kinning 0h14'46.60"
4 Team Vision Racing S. Donnelly, D. McKnight, B. Steel 0h15'06.80"
5 Dromara CC A. McGrady, A. Quinn, R. Smyth 0h15'13.3

General Classification after Stage 3

1 Fraser Duncan Eurocycles 2h52'11"
2 Christop Schweizer Team Nutrixxion 2h54'00" 01'49"
3 Thomas Martin Eurocycles 2h54'12" 02'01"
4 Gary Cranston East Antrim CC 2h54'14" 02'03"
5 Glenn Kinning East Antrim CC 2h54'16" 02'05"
6 John Heverin Clann Eireann 2h54'17" 02'06"
7 Marcel Kock Phoenix CC 2h54'52" 02'41"
8 Devon McIlwaine Duffin Transport 2h55'44" 03'33"
9 Desi Foley Phoenix CC 2h55'50" 03'39"
10 Conor Hanna North Down CC 2h55'55" 03'44"
11 David McKnight Team Vision Racing 2h55'55" s/t
12 Kevin Lynch Newry Wheelers 2h55'56" 03'45"
13 Des Woods Newry Wheelers 2h56'25" 04'14"
14 Alastair Macauley Phoenix CC 2h56'31" 04'20"
15 Kyle Houston Chain Reaction Cycles 2h56'41" 04'30"
16 Shane Farren North Down CC 2h56'44" 04'33"
17 Adam Armstrong Eurocycles 2h56'48" 04'37"
18 Cathal Smyth Phoenix CC 2h56'52" 04'41"
19 Stephen Harkens Madigan 2h57'00" 04'49"
20 Liam Curran Curran Racing 2h57'21" 05'10"
21 Peter Hawkins Sigma Sport 2h57'43" 05'32"
22 Fergus Rooney Phoenix CC 2h57'48" 05'37"
23 Bryan McKinney Duffin Transport 2h58'02" 05'51"
24 Ronnie Smyth Dromara CC 2h58'03" 05'52"
25 Andrew Hedley Chain Reaction Cycles 2h58'07" 05'56"
26 Jay Gault Phoenix CC 2h58'08" 05'57"
27 Brian Steel Team Vision Racing 2h58'10" 05'59"
41 Sean Donnelly Team Vision Racing 2h58'10" s/t
29 Stephen Beck East Antrim CC 2h58'17" 06'06"
30 Brian Stewart Phoenix CC 2h58'22" 06'11"
31 Peter Kennedy East Antrim CC 2h58'23" 06'12"
32 Gareth Murray Ards CC 2h58'28" 06'17"
33 Damian McDonald Team Vision Racing 3h00'12" 08'01"
34 Lindsay Gamble Ards CC 3h01'22" 09'11"
35 Aaron McGrady Dromara CC 3h02'11" 10'00"
36 Anthony Quinn Dromara CC 3h02'19" 10'08"
37 James McMaster Curran Racing 3h03'46" 11'35"