Flying Lindsay Watson rewarded for repeated breakaway efforts

*Lindsay Watson has taken multiple TT victories so far this year, and a criterium win, but yesterday's Brendan Campbell Memorial win was his first of the season in a road race (Photo: Toby Watson)*

Having taken a series of TT wins so far this season and been in the mix in road race since the delayed start of the season, Lindsay Watson has taken his first road race win of 2021 at the Brendan Campbell Memorial.

The Powerhouse Sport man did it the hard way yesterday in Duleek, Co Meath; being forced to chase initially and then going in several breakaways before the successful effort that stuck.

And though he made it to the finish line sprinting for victory at the end of the main event, Richie Maes (All human-VeloRevolution) pushed him very close, though had to be content with 2nd place. Darnell Moore (Team Caldwell Cycles), who had also been in the winning breakaway, rounded out the podium.

Watson, now aged 32 years, has hit the heights in recent seasons with frequent road and TT wins. This year has been no different; with five TT wins and a victory in the Ards CC criterium, but no road race wins until yesterday despite a string of top five finishes.

Lindsay Watson has been in great shape racing against the clock this year, with four wins out of six rounds in the Ernie Magwood Series and also a gold medal in the Ulster 10 mile TT Championships (Photo: Sean Rowe)

Early in the contest – seven laps of the 14.5km Coombes Connor circuit – Watson’s Powerhouse Sport had Aaron Wade, the recent Moynalty GP winner, and David O’Sullivan in the early breakaway.

However, when that breakaway failed
to take off and it split, with O’Sullivan and Wade ending up back in the bunch,
a chase of the remaining breakaway men ensued.

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Once that breakaway was caught, a
series of attacks resulted in another move getting clear; this time numbering
between eight and 10 riders and with Watson present. However, though that group initially
worked well, the cooperation flagged after about one lap up the road and the
bunch began to close on the leaders.

Before the breakaway was caught, Watson attacked from it and spent around 14km up the road leading the race solo, before he too was overhauled. Soon after he was caught a breakaway went on the climb after the finish, which would prove to be the winning move.

While it numbered seven or eight riders initially, some of those men were jettisoned as the breakaway worked hard, with the group coming down to five; Watson, Maes, Moore, Darragh McCarter (Spellman-Dublin Port) and Karl Morgan (Phoenix CC).

However, while they worked well together to establish a gap and then keep it, that cooperation fell by the wayside a little as the finish neared. And on the final lap the bunch, which never gave up hope of catching the breakaway, was breathing down the leaders' necks.

In the final 5km it looked like the catch would be made, though in the end the breakaway just about hung on. McCarter went early in the final push to the line, with Maes responding to him only for Watson to come off his wheel to win. Watson won it from Maes with Moore 3rd, Morgan 4th and McCarter just holding off the front of the bunch for 5th after his late bid for victory.

At the head of the bunch, Saturday’s Peter Bidwell Memorial winner Conor Murnane (UCD Cycling Club) won the sprint for 6th from Aaron Wade (Powerhouse Sport), Ryan Byrne (Spellman-Dublin Port) and Niall Whelan (Kilcullen CC), with Javan Nulty (Stamullen RC) rounding out the top 10.