That's how it's done: Damien Shaw has sheds of time to celebrate at the end of a very impressive performance in Newtownwards (Photo with thanks to The Belgian Project)
Damien Shaw has said he was surprised he dropped all of his breakaway companions when he jumped them with around 35km remaining at the Tour of Ards today.
“When I went I thought I might split the group in two; that a few of them would come with me,” he said of the seven-man breakaway he fled for fear the bunch was closing in.
Shaw added his new ASEA team mate Ali Macaulay, who rode for Phoenix CC last year, briefed him on the route before the start.
He identified a key section around 25km from the start where last year’s winning breakaway had gone away.
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David Watson of North Down CC takes the sprint for 2nd place from Craig McAuley of Roe Valley CC (Photo: Mariam Lamb - Cycling Ulster)
“Bryan (McCrystal) did a huge turn and put the pressure on and I just really used that and jumped,” he said.
“Then the other lads came across to me and we got the gap on the bunch.”
In that move with Shaw was Macaulay, David Watson (North Down CC), Craig McAuley (Roe Valley), Mark Mc Kinley (Newry Wheelers), Sean Featherstone (Newry Wheelers) and Craig Rea (Phoenix CC).
Shaw said he was happy with the break’s progress until they hit a tailwind section that he believed would help the chasing bunch, from which lots of counter attacking was pinging off the front.
Bryan McCrystal pushes the pace as the field breaks up. He missed the boat today but seems to be going very strongly nonetheless (Photo: Marian Lamb - Cycling Ulster)
“We all rode really well together,” said of the escape.
“But we could sense the bunch was closing in on us a little bit and once I got that feeling I just said to myself ‘I’m out of here’.
“I full expected one or two of the guys to come over to me but didn’t happen. But I was able to keep it going and keep the gap.”
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In the end he had 2½ minutes to spare on the group he had left behind, though they stayed clear of the bunch for the minor placings.
With the race north of the border today and Shaw doing most of his racing in the Republic, he said there were some differences between the two scenes.
The breakaway that became the chase group once Shaw had taken off from it and began to build his lead (Photo with thanks to the Belgian Project)
“The size of the fields has a big part to play in it,” he said of the north where race entries are restricted for safety reasons.
“It’s a small field and it’s very competitive. Down south, there seems to be a lot of guys (in each race); there’s no limit on the fields so anybody can turn up.
“Here, you know you’re going to have a bit of a quality field and it makes for better racing I think. “The circuit was also a lot more challenging,” he said of today’s race.
“Generally what you get in the south is a 20km circuit round and round. Here, there was loops and out and backs; it was really well done.”
Brian Stewart of Phoenix CC takes the bunch sprint from junior Jake Grey to take 7th on the day (Photo: Marian Lamb - Cycling Ulster)
Shaw said his immediate thoughts were now focussed on Holland for the World Paracycling Track Championships; having recently rejoined the Irish squad as a pilot on a tandem.
Beyond that, he said he would once against concentrate on the road and the stage races that come in the period before the Rás.
They include the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan and the Tour of Ulster, both of which he has won in the past.
Shaw will be backed by a strong Team ASEA in those events, but with other prolific riders on the team and a number of top riders from other outfits - especially Sean McKenna of Aquablue - going well, the next couple of months promise to be very lively.
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