Eventual stage winner Darragh O'Mahony leads the chase group across to the original breakaway on yesterday's final stage in Kanturk (Photo: Brendan Slattery)
By Brian Canty
Darragh O'Mahony said he would remember his home town win on the final stage of the O'Leary's Stone Kanturk Three Day for the rest of his days.
The local man was riding for a Munster selection this weekend and came home solo at the head of affairs yesterday.
"It was amazing; I'll take it to the grave with me,” he said.
“The boys at training will never hear the end of it anyway," he laughed.
"I watched this race from the side of the road last year dreaming of throwing my hands in the air and it's now become a reality."
No photo finish needed: O'Mahony has won a string of races this season, but his victory yesterday looked as impressive as his claiming the opening stage on the Gorey Three Day at Easter (Photo with thanks to John Coleman of DC Images)
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O'Mahony was one of four riders who broke away at the beginning of the third lap on the concluding stage 4.
There were three already up ahead, around 30 seconds clear. But O'Mahony and company struggled to catch them.
In fact, the gap remained at approximately 15 seconds for a whole 25km lap.
"Myself and Aaron Kearney (Carrick Wheelers) jumped away from the two lads were with at the end of the third lap and got across to the three leaders.
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"The five of us at the front then rode on for all we were worth; keeping a steady 50 seconds to the bunch.”
O'Mahony then used his presence in the breakaway to get up the road alone when he jumped them with around 7km remaining.
He managed to extend his lead to 25 seconds coming into the town to the finish and ended the stage a comfortable winner, though he said he was suffering.
Dion McCarthy did not get a stage win, but he owned the bunch sprint for 3rd and 4th on the opening and closing stages respectively; a good sign for the season ahead (Photo with thanks to John Coleman of DC Images)
"I was all over the bike on the last 300m kicker to the finish but I managed to hold on."
Shane Scully of Nenagh CC survived from the breakaway for 2nd, with Kearney in 3rd before Dion McCarthy charged in to take the bunch finish for 4th by a country mile.
The win salvaged what had been a frustrating weekend for second year junior O’Mahony, who has been going very well this season and may now get a start with the Irish team.
"It went as well as it could have. I crashed on the first stage so I lost a lot of time,” he lamented of his chances in the general classification.
"I had a very mediocre TT and stage 3 followed along the same lines. So with two disappointing days behind me I was gunning for today to try and salvage my race."
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