Aggression was the order of the day for Colm Cassidy at the Suir Valley Three Day; attacking early and going for broke on the final stage which he started just 17 seconds off the yellow jersey and during which he became virtual race leader. Pictured above by Sean Rowe taking fourth place on the opening stage.
By Brian Canty
Colm Cassidy was the deserving winner of the Paul Healion Memorial trophy at the Suir Valley Three-Day at the weekend; the prize awarded to the rider adjudged to be the most aggressive over the three–day event.
The UCD CC rider, who scooped a brilliant silver medal in the elite men’s race at the National Time Trial Championships in June, was fourth on the opening stage but paid for his efforts on the final day in fading to 22nd overall.
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But it was his escape with veteran Joe Fenlon (Aquablue) on that final stage that made him stand out as the most aggressive general classification contender.
Cassidy went into the final stage just 17 seconds down on race leader Dillon Byrne. But when he clipped off the front with Fenlon after the descent of the category one climb of the Vee, they managed to pull out a gap of 1’40” which put the Dubliner leader on the road.
Cassidy, right, with team mate Anthony Walsh on the final stage; both riders and a number of their club mates have emerged among the very best on the Irish scene in recent seasons.
The duo would probably have needed a few more strong men to make the move stick, or at least have some chance of contesting the stage.
But Cassidy said they were not hanging around on the wide open roads yesterday.
“It was kind of the plan to go up the road,” said the Clontarf man.
“I don’t think I was ever going to win the race by waiting around for the last climb. I wouldn’t be a particularly good climber at the best of times so I kept my powder dry until the point I attacked and didn’t get involved in too many early chases.
“There was a lull on the descent off the Vee so I just popped off and Joe was kind of floating out there ahead a bit so we just went for it.
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“Joe is as honest as the day is long and we rode well. We were keeping the bunch at bay on the flat section back to Dungarvan but the gap we got was taken back on the second climb.”
Cassidy – who has won seven time trials this season so far - would take top points at the summit of that second climb, at Colligan and a hot spot prime along the way.
But the move was doomed as soon as the bunch caught sight of them on the run-in to the final climb of the Nire; atop of which the race ended.
“We weren’t waiting around for groups to come across so we kept the pressure on and we said we’d see what happens,” Cassidy explained.
“Realistically, I wasn’t going to win the race but I had the aggressive rider prize in my mind anyway and I wanted to make sure I got that.
“Me being away also meant our boys wouldn’t need to do any chasing or get involved too much so that meant Eoin (Morton) could be a bit fresher for the final climb," he said of his team mate who ended the race 4th overall.
“He’s our strongest guy at the moment and we knew he’d be there or thereabouts for the stage at the end.
“So it was nice to come home with a jersey and a trophy and Sean McKenna won the aggressive rider prize for Sunday so it was a good weekend.”
Leading the yellow jersey of Dillon Byrne and second placed overall Bryan McCrystal on the Sunday evening criterium in Clonmel.
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