Seamus Sinnott (Wexford Wheelers) takes his first win of the year from Niall Whelan (Laois CC) and Paul Smith of Waterford Racing Team (Photo: Sean Rowe)
By Brian Canty
Seamus Sinnott got his season off to the best possible start with a fine win from a bunch sprint in the Ned Flanagan Memorial A3 race yesterday afternoon.
The 17 year-old Wexford Wheelers man was too quick for Niall Whelan (Laois CC) and Paul Smith (Waterford Racing team) at the end of the 60-kilometre race.
He is now setting his sights on a big year ahead.
“I’m over the moon,” he said after yesterday's event in Monasterevin.
The win is an important one for Sinnott as he begins his second season in the junior ranks and should be in the shake up for international selection.
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Last year he signalled his arrival onto the home scene by winning two very good races.
Winning the Cyclesport Dungarvan GP in Waterford last June (Photo: Dc Images)
He took the Deenside Cup in Kilkenny at the start of June and followed up with victory later that month at the Cyclesport Dungarvan GP.
Sinnott also put in a very good showing at the National Road Race Championships; going clear with the early breakaway.
He was one of the last of those to hold eventual gold and silver medal winners, Eddie Dunbar and Michael O'Loughlin, when they got across and split the race to pieces.
While the new campaign is only just underway, Sinnott is now a year older and has clearly come out of the winter well; taking his opening victory many months earlier than opening his account last year.
A continued run in the early season would undoubtedly force him into the deliberations when the selectors meet to put shape on the first Irish teams of the year.
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Sinnott has impressed most with his sprint, but he is a nice stylist too and is not afraid to ride hard when the chips are down (Photo: Dc Images)
He said he was pleased with how the off season went and was confident before yesterday’s race that he may take something from it.
“I’ve a good few base miles put in over the winter and I came in today knowing it was a flat finish and if I was there at the end I’d give it a shot,” he explained.
The race was marked by an heroic solo breakaway by Simon Tuomey (Cork Giant).
He was away for over half the race with a gap of over two minutes before he was reeled in with 10 kilometres to go.
“I knew in the wind it’d be hard to stay away so it all came back together,” explained Sinnott of the closing exchanges.
Wexford 1-2: Sinnott takes the A3 race at the Deenside Cup ahead of team mate Anthony Harpur last summer (Photo: Brenda Murtagh)
“I stayed up the front. I knew if I stayed out of danger I’d be in with a shout for the sprint.
“It was rapid fast coming into the finish; guys were jumping a lot.
"And it was hard to hold position up towards the front but coming around the last 500 corner, I knew I had to go.
“I just jumped; put the head down and got a gap straight away. And I held them off from there on in.
“It’s a great start for me and I’m hoping for a good year. I’m after getting stronger.
"So hopefully I can put it up to a few of them in the junior category.”
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