Michael O'Loughlin drives the escape group from which teammate Adam Stenson would win from during yesterday's fourth stage of the Junior Tour of Wales. All four NRPT-Magnet.ie men were present in the move; O'Loughlin, Jake Gray, Stenson and Alexis Roche (Picture thanks to Tommy Heaney)
By Brian Canty
Adam Stenson said yesterday’s win on the fourth stage of the Junior Tour of Wales was up there with his scratch race win in a round of the omnium at the European Track Championships in Athens earlier in the summer.
The NRPT-Magnet.ie man moved up to sixth overall ahead of today’s final stage of the race, courtesy of his no-guts-no-glory victory.
Stenson, still a first-year junior, praised the efforts of his team who he said were instrumental in the win.
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“Michael (O’Loughlin) was up the road in a group of eight and myself, Jake (Gray) and Alexis (Roche) all put the head down and drilled it after 40 kilometres over to his group,” he said.
“It was then a group of 19 and that's where all the lads committed for me as I was feeling very strong.
Adam Stenson taking a great win on the penultimate stage of the Junior Tour of Wales on Sunday (Photo: Huw Fairclough)
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Stenson continued: “I told Michael with 30k to go that I was gonna win and he and the other lads fully committed and believed in me.
“Michael was in a complete bag afterwards, he was almost dead!”
True to his word, Stenson attacked the front group with about 10k to go, with two more joining him later.
“We just fully committed from the start,” he recalled.
“They came across with about 5k left of the race and it was torture to the finish.
“But it was the good kind; I knew if we stayed away I’d win because I felt like I could really hurt myself.
“It was brilliant the way it all worked out, with the bunch just right behind so who knows what might have happened if it was any longer.”
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