Paidi O'Brien's win yesterday in Clare was his second victory following his college exams. And while the National Road Championships are next weekend he is unsure how he will do there, adding the Suir Valley Three Day and retaining his national criterium champion title are perhaps more realistic goals.
By Gerard Cromwell
After a mid season break to concentrate on exams, Paidi O’Brien pulled off another big domestic win yesterday; sprinting home at the head of a three-man front group to take victory in the inaugural Kieran MacMahon Memorial Classic in Clonlara, Co Clare.
O’Brien, riding for the Cork based Osborne Meats squad, was part of an early breakaway group that also contained Gary Sheehan (Cycle4Sick Children), Martin O’Loughlin (Iverk Carrick), Ryan O’Donovan (Giant), Mike Storan and Eddy Barry of Liquidworx Fitscience and Aquablue duo Keith Gator and Dylan Foley.
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“The break went early enough and we had to ride very hard for the first hour or so to get the gap up but then it settled down a small bit,” said O’Brien afterwards.
“We worked hard to get a minute and then it went to two minutes but we didn’t get many time gaps after that so I think it stayed around that for a long time.”
This group began to fragment towards the end of a very undulating 150km loop and with around 15km to go, O’Brien jumped clear with Foley and O’Loughlin for company as they hit a climb outside Sixmilebridge.
“The roads were up and down all day and it was a long distance too, so it was a wearing down process," said the eventual winner.
“I knew the climb. I think we did it before in the Rás. It kind of goes up in stages and after around 140km, I knew if it was going to break up it would break up there.
“I jumped and then Foley countered me. He put in a big turn and then Martin did a turn and I jumped again. We kind of pulled each other away.”
Paidi O’Brien (Osbourne Butchers-Edge Sports) takes victory at Rás Luimni from Sean Lacey of Aquablue back in early March (Photo: www.blackumbrella.ie)
This trio had built up a lead of over a minute on the rest of the original breakaway by the finish.
Although O’Loughlin and Foley both made attempts to go clear in the final kilometres, the race was settled in a sprint finish; won by O’Brien with Foley second and the in-form O’Loughlin third.
“The lads had a few jumps coming in the road but at that stage everyone was tired and it would have been hard for a fella to solo away on his own.
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“I reckoned the three of us would fight it out at the finish and that’s the way it happened.
“I was confident if it came down to a sprint but I also knew that Martin won two good sprints in the Corkman Three-Day and Foley is a good finisher too. So I had to be paying attention and was very happy to win it.
“From talking to the lads afterwards, the course today was based on all of Kieran’s training roads, but Jesus it was hard; a real classic type race and as hard as the Des Hanlon or the Shay Elliott courses. It was a really well run race though and hopefully they’ll run it again.”
Having spent five years racing abroad with Sean Kelly’s An Post squad, O’Brien came home a couple of years ago and went to college.
But rather than give up the bike, like so many of those who return from racing abroad, he has settled into the domestic scene.
“I’d only have around 20 hours a week to do in college, so for me to stop cycling wouldn’t have made sense when I have time to train a few hours a week.
“I think the racing in Ireland is great. I do it more for fun now but I like it. I like meeting the lads and having a bit of craic.
“With the team set-ups and the good challenging races here, the level is quite high. So I’ll keep doing it as long as I’m enjoying it and I’m enjoying it a lot at the moment.”
After two years of business studies in C.I.T, O’Brien has decided to specialise in accounting and has one more year left in college before he qualifies as a number cruncher.
“I raced up to Rás Mumhan and one or two races after that but I had a month of studying then,” he says.
“Third year required more effort than other years and it took more time, so the last month... I wouldn’t say I was struggling, but I was trying to get my form back and it took time.
“I’m happy to win any race but to win today after the exams is a good sign for the summer.”
Although he doesn’t see himself in the running for a medal at next week’s national road championships, O’Brien has other goals for the end of season.
“What sort of performance I can do at the nationals is difficult to say with the quality that’s there," he admits.
"But if I could have a good Suir Valley and have a go at retaining the national criterium championships it would be a good summer for me.”
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