First year junior Dion McCarthy looks absolutely incensed as he claims Frenchman Nathan Pernot deviated from his line in the bunch sprint that decided yesterday's third stage of the Scott Bicycles Junior Tour of Ireland. McCarthy was third the day before and finished second yesterday and feels he has what it takes to win this week (Photo: Stephen McMahon - Sportsfile)
Up and coming first year junior Dion McCarthy was left seething following yesterday’s stage 3 of the Scott Bicycles Junior Tour of Ireland after what he felt was some erratic sprinting by winner Nathan Pernot of the NRPT-Magnet.ie team.
The Munster-Tarrant Skoda rider, making his debut in the race, was right in the thick of things coming to the line in Whitegate but was unable to really launch himself for the line.
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McCarthy said afterwards that Pernot had almost put him in the barriers and later complained to the commissaire about the French rider deviating from his line in the sprint.
“He put me right over in the barriers,” said a disgusted McCarthy before today’s fourth stage.
“I’ve seen the pictures and you can see that but what you can’t see is how he put me right in the barriers from right side to left.
“I went to the commissaire after the race and they said they'd sort it so I’m just waiting to see what happens next.
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“I reckon if I get a fair run at him (Pernot) I'll beat him but I'll just take the next few days as they come,” he added.
McCarthy’s second place was all the more impressive as he crashed on a greasy descent with 40 kilometres to go and had to chase for 10 kilometres on his own to make the sprint.
And with the help of teammate Sean Yelverton who did some huge pulls he got himself right up to the front.
“The chase took it out of me; on a better finish I’d have the beating of him,” McCarthy said in relation to Pernot.
“My left leg is a bit cut up and I’m sore on my ankle and hip but I’ll live.”
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