Sean Hahessy said he knew in Carrick he had to attack eventual winner Páidí O'Brien but he didn’t have the legs to (Photo with thanks to Joe Murphy)
By Brian Canty
Sean Hahessy took his best result of the season on Tuesday when he was narrowly beaten by Paidi O’Brien in the two-up sprint that decided the Bobby Power Memorial in Carrick-on-Suir.
The Fitscience rider’s form has been coming in recent weeks and while he said he was a little disappointed not to get the win, he was nonetheless very pleased with his performance.
“There was no getting away from, he was very strong,” offered Hahessy of O’Brien afterwards.
“The legs are back now though, 10 times better than what they were in Blarney last Sunday.
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“I was sick recently and the last three weeks were very frustrating but I always had the feeling I had the training done to win races.
O’Brien leads out the sprint to the finish line with Hahessy behind but unable to come around him (Photo: Sean Rowe)
“In Blarney I wasn’t going that well but I was still confident I was going to win the race (in Carrick on Tuesday).
“So to get second; I’m happy with the performance. It was the best I could have done on the day.
“The legs are back now, they went missing for a few weeks but I’m going well so hopefully I can make all the right splits and be there in the finish on Sunday,” he said in reference to Des Hanlon Memorial in Carlow.
Tuesday’s race was a real brute on a new course in Carrick.
“Anyone will tell you it was savage hard, like a baby Des Hanlon,” said Hahessy.
“You had real fast roads at the start and then it turned off for some bad country road, and you’re uphill the whole time.
Sean Hahessy had to be content with 2nd, but O’Brien said he was very strong and could have won. A convincing ride says the new Fitscience man is in very good nick for the major showdowns ahead (Photo: Sean Rowe)
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“The break was nearly stopped on the last lap. Lads weren’t riding through and horsing food into themselves.”
As has been the case in recent weeks down south a huge move of over a dozen riders went clear – but Hahessy missed the initial split.
“Nothing got away the first lap but halfway around the second lap a break of around 10 or 12 got off the front and I missed it.
“So I waited for the bad road and jumped across with (Colm) Cassidy (Team Aqua Blue) and a South Dublin lad and then it split again on the main road on the last lap.
Only eight or so of the original break would remain, with O’Brien (Osbourne Meats-McCarthy Cycles), Sean Lacey (Aqua Blue), Cassidy (Aqua Blue), Robin Kelly (Waterford Racing), Stephen Murray (Strata3-VeloRevolution), Simon Ryan (Mego Racing Team) and Hahessy in there.
“We had it whittled down to 8 or 9 and there was kind of a stall with about 10k to go and Paidi jumped off the front.
On his way to the Munster time trial title in the colours of Carrick Wheelers last year (Photo: Ger Cusack)
“I looked around and they were letting him go so I jumped across to him.
“The last 10k then was flat out, we had about 10 seconds for ages until we got to the bottom of the drag up to the finish.
“Then we had about 30 seconds but it was flat out until the last kilometre.
“I knew the roads well, I do a lot of sprint work there but I was never going to beat Paidi in the gallop.
“We were side by side into the last kilometre but I wanted to lead it out, I only had to watch him on one side.
“I led it out, we both kicked at the same time but he beat me, I was thinking all the way in the road that I had to attack him but I didn’t have the legs to.”
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