Chris McGlinchey crosses the line to win this year's Kerry Group Rás Mumhan. The 21-year old Belfast man was seventh on today's stage, book-ending a remarkable weekend that saw him take the yellow jersey on Friday and hold it for the following three days (Photo: Brendan Slattery – TheBigLittleBikeShop.com)
By Brian Canty
Chris McGlinchey soaked up the acclaim and toasted his win with his teammates after he was crowned a deserving winner of the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan.
In a true testament to the young Belfast man’s humility he said he would not have won without the help of his team mates on the national selection; Ian Richardson, Darragh O’Mayony, Fintan Ryan and Craig Macaulay.
The Irish Development Team endured absolutely everything a bike race could throw at a team with a man in the yellow jersey - but they prevailed with flying colours.
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“I’m over the moon,” said McGlinchey after.
“I went into the race with big ambitions, training was going well and I knew I had form so to be able to pull off the plan from day one was just perfect.”
McGlinchey, in the background, rode himself into the ground to claw back stage 2 winner Bryan McCrystal and said he felt on the basis on that stage he felt he had a good chance of defending his yellow jersey all the way to the finish of the race (Photo: Brendan Slattery - HPNutrition.ie)
Defending yellow “was easier said than done”, he said.
"The team were really strong and we were more than capable. Saturday was a bloody tough day and we defended it. As a team we rode a perfect race."
Saturday, in fact, was when he felt he could win it outright after he managed to pull back close to a minute on Bryan McCrystal (ASEA-Wheelworx) on the run-in to the finish in Kenmare.
The latter had escaped earlier in the stage in what looked like a potentially race-winning solo attack.
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“I think the moment when I thought I could win was on Saturday when I was with two ASEA-Wheelworx lads and I drop Ali (Macaulay) and went to chase down McCrystal, bringing him to within four seconds.
“Obviously things can happen on the road and it wasn’t safe after that; yesterday was still a really hard day and I had to work for it in the last 30k but definitely, when I pulled back Bryan I knew I was going well.”
Winning the opening stage on Friday from Daire Feeley and Mark Dowling; McGlinchey would be the only rider to wear the yellow jersey on this year's edition of Kerry Group Rás Mumhan (Photo: Brendan Slattery - HPNutrition.ie)
He’s been a little under the radar, if only by virtue of the fact he hasn’t won a really big race before now.
“I was surprised with how good my legs were but I went in to win the race," he said.
"I was speaking with my trainer and my power numbers have been good so it was just a matter of pulling it off…and to actually do it was amazing.”
What’s also amazing is the fact he’s only road racing a couple of years.
“I think it’s just hard work,” he suggested when asked if he was just all talent.
“I train every day before and after work, I’m committed, I do exactly what my trainer tells me and it’s shown this weekend.
“But my team as well; every one of them poured every ounce of energy into the weekend, especially on Sunday when the crosswinds were torture.
“They hammered it as long as they could and it was the perfect tee-up for me to launch my attack.
“Today, we rode as a unit, kept out of danger and I don’t think I could have won the race without them.”
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