Derek Joyce won a fabulous edition of the Crotty Cup in Kilmihil, Co. Clare yesterday. The Galway Bay CC man was one of the most active riders in the race and got his just reward for being aggressive from the outset (Photo courtesy of shutterstills.com)
By Brian Canty
Derek Joyce took his first win for two years yesterday when he claimed a marvellous victory in the Crotty Cup in West Clare, pipping fellow breakaway men Daire Feeley (iTap), Cathal Purcell (Carrick Wheelers) and Eoin O’Connell (Blarney CC) to the line at the end of 80 kilometres of hard racing.
Joyce, a bronze medallist from the 2013 National Vets Championships, was a worthy winner as he was aggressive from the outset and never gave up hope of winning, even when Feeley and Purcell seemed to have the race sewn up between them.
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Feeley and O’Connell were no less impressive than the eventual winner and having started with the A1-A2 scratcj group, they worked tirelessly to get back on terms with the A3s limit men who were given a one-minute advantage.
Upwards of 50 A3 riders made up that latter group for the hilly six-lap, 15 kilometre course around Kilmihil; a race that counts Davy O’Loughlin and Ciarán Power as previous winners.
The parcours wasn’t made any easier by the presence of a stiff crosswind on some of the more exposed sections of road.
But the A1-A2 men got down to business early on and a group of eight eventually managed to cut loose and open a gap of a minute on their counterparts.
One of the most promising young riders in the country at present, Daire Feeley was forced to settle for 2nd yesterday but is continuing to progress very nicely. Pictured above by Sean Rowe at the recent Shay Elliott Memorial.
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In that move going across to the A3 bunch were, amongst others; Eoghan Clifford and Joyce (both Galway Bay), O’Connell (Blarney), Peter Tuohy (Castlebar) and reigning champion Feeley (iTap).
They all worked well and caught the big bunch of A3s with 40km to go.
From there, a fresh flurry of attacks followed and almost the same bunch of riders broke clear for the decisive move of the day, with Cathal Purcell (Carrick Wheelers CC), Leigh Hewerdine (Killarney CC), Paul Kennedy (Newcastle West CC) joining them from the A3 group.
That break worked well and with a lap left Clifford and Joyce tested the waters with some more jumping.
But it wasn’t until five kilometres that the group split following an attack by Clifford.
Feeley and Purcell went in pursuit, passed Clifford and looked like they would contest the win between them but O’Connell led the chase.
Sensing the danger, Joyce was next to go and he caught that leading trio with 500m to go, and jumped them to take a stunning never-say-die win.
Feeley had too much left in the tank for Purcell to nick second, with O’Connell taking fourth.
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