McCarter looks ahead to Rás with first victory in the bag
Darragh McCarter battles the elements at the Cycleways Cup in Navan, Co Meath, recently. The Donegal Bay CC rider was victorious in the St Patrick's Day Race in Letterkenny (Photo: Sean Rowe)
By Brian Canty
Darragh McCarter was the winner of the St Patrick’s Day Potato Race in Letterkenny; the Omagh man winning at the end of the 75-kilometre contest. It was his first win of the year.
“It was a great feeling to get a win early in the season as normally it takes me a month or two to get going," he said.
“This gives me good confidence for the next races and heading into Easter weekend.”
McCarter, from Omagh, but living in Donegal 12 years, will now go for a big result in either the Tour of the North or Ulster before the big battle in May.
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“Hopefully I can get another win or two and I would love to get a stage of Tour of the North or Ulster."
“But it's hard to know what to expect as all my training is based towards riding my first Rás this year," he said of the race he will ride with the Omagh Wheelers Tyrone team.
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The 31-year old was up against a strong field of A1, A2 and A3 riders on St Patrick's Day. They all rolled out together into a headwind for the opening 15 kilometres.
An initial group of around six riders broke clear into the headwind and sensing they were pulling away McCarter went off in pursuit.
There were two 22-kilometre circuits to contend with and a fast 15-kilometre section home so he knew the race could be gone if he didn’t act.
“It seemed like nobody was willing to ride on the front at the start with the headwind," he said.
"A couple of riders clipped off the front followed by a group of 6 or 7 and still no reaction from the bunch,” he said.
“I jumped across to that group and worked for a few kilometres with them.”
Behind there was a reaction with Ronan McLaughlin and a Caldwell Cycles contingent working into the deficit.
“I jumped across to a group up ahead and everyone stayed pretty honest as we were getting information on the gap to the groups behind.
“A small group with McLaughlin was still closing and I was worried they were going to catch us inside the last couple of kilometres so we just stayed going.”
In total there were seven in the winning move, with one getting distanced late on. In the move were Adam Ward (Powerhouse Sport), Conor Halvey (NRPT), Alastair Gribbon (Carn Wheelers), Sean McFadden (Errigal CC), and Rory Devlin (Inishown Wheelers).
“I knew Adam Ward had a good finishing kick," he said of the emerging Powerhouse Sport junior rider.
"Once they eased off with just over a kilometre to go and I still felt pretty good I jumped them. Luckily l had legs to hold on."
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