Simon Ryan has come into a rich vein of form, taking a win in the National Road Series earlier in the year and storming home for another win in Currow, Co Kerry, on Sunday (Photo with thanks to Maura Lynch Moriarty)
By Brian Canty
Sunday’s John Drumm Memorial winner in Currow, Co Kerry; Simon Ryan said it was the best feeling in the world when he looked back with a kilometre to go and saw he had clear daylight on four chasers.
The Mego Racing Team man has already proven he can go long and win from far out and he did it again on Sunday, albeit with three kilometres to go as opposed to 20.
His latest win gave him as much satisfaction as last month because of how hard the racing was.
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“It was incredibly hard, with constant attacking for first three and a half laps,” he said of Sunday.
“The break wasn’t established for the bones of 70k but when it went that was it.
Taking the win on Sunday having fled the breakaway he was in (Photo: John Coleman – Dc Images)
“A small group clipped away, Eoin Morton (UCD CC) was already away, but the bunch reacted and it was lined out trying to get him back.
“So going through the start/finish area nine of us got away,” he recalled.
The break included Ryan, Páidí O’Brien (Osbourne Meats-McCarthy Cycles), the aforementioned Morton, Robin Kelly and Keith Gater (both Waterford Racing Team), Sean Lacey and Anthony Walsh (both Aquablue), John Hodge (Dungarvan CC) and Sean Hahessy (Fitsciene).
They rode well and pulled out a sizeable gap on the bunch before Hahessy kicked things off with a furious volley of attacks.
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Though it would all come back together following more attacks and counter moves, five of the nine escaped before the last lap; Ryan, O’Brien, Kelly, Morton and Lacey.
Then Morton went again, with Ryan and Kelly going across to him, before Ryan chose his moment to go.
Ryan in action during the final stage of the Kerry group Rás Mumhan. The Tipperary man riding for Mego Racing Team is in excellent form right now and looks to have timed his form very well, with the An Post Rás a matter of weeks away (Photo: John Coleman – Dc Images)
“Going through Castleisland I jumped twice but was closed down," he recalled.
“Then Morton went and was brought back but I jumped with 3k to go, they just stalled behind and I ended up winning on my own.
“It was amazing, looking back at one kilometre to go and seeing I had it.
“It wasn’t an easy race today; there was constant attacking before the break went and it was actually more comfortable in the break.
“I was under pressure coming in the road though, I had to cover all the moves, we all did.
“I didn’t want to go to the line with Páidí because of the form he’s in so that's why I attacked before the final.
"Páidí’s won eight races this year and three stages of Rás Mumhan so when I went I had to commit to it.”
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