Christopher McGlinchey looks truly shattered as he crosses the line in Kenmare after finishing runner-up to Bryan McCrystal on an epic stage of the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan. (Picture: Brendan Slattery)
By Brian Canty
Christopher McGlinchey is halfway into his maiden Kerry Group Rás Mumhan and wears the yellow jersey into the penultimate day tomorrow, a situation he can scarcely believe.
The 21-year old Belfast man crossed the line in second place behind winner Bryan McCrystal (ASEA-Wheelworx) today and managed to preserve a 1’06” advantage in the general classification.
If the stage winner’s ride was epic then McGlinchey’s was no less so as he was in the day’s breakaway that escaped before the day’s only category one climb, the Healy Pass.
“It’s just worked out perfectly so far,” said the yellow jersey wearer tonight, riding for the Irish Development Team.
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“I came into this weekend with big ambitions, I wanted to do as well as I’ve done and it’s been great to have it go to plan. I couldn’t really ask for much more.”
Asked what it was like to ride on such a cruel day – and emerge with flying colours he said;
“It was incredible; it was such a tough day in the conditions - but good to defend the jersey.
“The break went going up the Healy Pass, I crested the top of that in the bunch but as an ex-downhill rider my descending skills are pretty good so I just hammered it down and managed to bridge across on the descent.”
Up ahead was Mayo hard man Paddy Clarke, McCrystal, Denis Dunworth (Moda Sports Kingdom Endurance) and two Dutch riders, Ruben Dorren and Robert Jan-Mol (West Frisia- Combi Lift).
“I mainly did it (rode across on the descent) to stay out of danger but I managed to start gapping guys and got across to the guys up ahead.
“Ali and another guy joined on and that’s when we went and increased our lead.
“For a while we worked quite well (but it started to break up) around the Pass of Keimeneigh (Cat two climb).
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“Ali went for that KOH and the Dutch guy (Dorren) was going for it as well.
“McCrystal sprinted through to take points on the two Dutch lads.
“Macaulay and Bryan went away on their own and it was panic stations for a while then,” recalled McGlinchey.
“I managed to get what I could out of the guys I was with and then bridged across on my own on the next cat two (Reenaree); I was glad to get back on but it was a tough chase back on.”
Tough, in fact, doesn’t come close to describing that chase.
“It was hard; I had the manager (David McCann) beside me giving me motivation to get up there.
“I could see them halfway up the climb and that motivated me to jump on the pedals; it was nice for a while afterwards because I sat on for 20-30k until the next cat two climb (County Bounds).
“We went up that steady,” he continued, “but cresting the top McCrystal went so I got on his wheel.
“But then he sat up because Ali didn’t get my wheel but after he got back on Bryan went again and I knew he wasn’t as close as Ali was on GC, so I let him (McCrystal) go.
“That was 30k to go so me so Ali just stuck together for 20k, riding conservatively; I knew I had 1’ 10” on GC and Bryan’s gap was 50 seconds.”
But things started to really get serious when McCrystal went over a minute clear.
“I knew I had to get rid of Ali and go on the chase and I think I did that with 10k to go.
“There was a bit of a rise outside Kilgarvan and I went for it; I saw Ali couldn’t counter so I stuck the head down and went for it.
“I think it was the hardest 10k of my life, I gave it everything, I put everything into it, I could see Bryan up ahead.
“He got the stage and when I crossed the line with nothing left but I clawed back as much as I could and it puts me into a really good position for tomorrow.”
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