By Brian Canty
Páidi O'Brien made it two wins from two over the weekend when he stormed to a magnificent solo victory in the Midleton GP today, Sunday.
O'Brien, winner of the Youghal criterium on Friday night on his own, repeated the act today when he blasted off the front of an eight-man break and time-trialled his way to the finish in Cloyne.
Though chase was given initially by five riders who were also in that break with him - he had two team mates in there whose hands were tied in the chase - none had the staying power of the pocket rocket from Banteer.
The last time O'Brien rode this circuit was when he came second to Dan Martin in the 2008 National championships, ahead of Brian Kenneally and Nicolas Roche on the day.
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The decisive move today came on the opening lap when, after a few brief skirmishes, Robin Kelly (Waterford Racing) clipped off the front with Sean Lacey and Michael Fitzgerald (both Dan Morrissey-Speedy Spokes), before first Aidan Crowley (DID Dunboyne) and Martin O'Loughlin (Iverk Produce/Carrick Wheelers) jumped across to them.
Then Eddie Barry (Blarney CC) and Simon Ryan (Visit Nenagh/DMG) also tacked on, before O'Brien (Dan Morrissey-Speedy Spokes) completed the octet when he darted across.
Dermot Radford (Tipperary Wheelers) made a brave effort to bridge across and tried gallantly for most of the first lap to join them. But with the Dan Morrissey-Speedy Spokes trio driving it up front, it was never likely to work for him and by the start of the second lap the escape had stretched their lead to just over a minute.
But the eight out front split into two groups of four with O'Brien, Barry, Lacey and Kelly forging clear, leaving O'Loughlin and Fitzgerald, with Ryan and Crowley further back. The remnants of the peloton caught Ryan and Crowley with three laps to go so that left six up front; four plus two.
O'Brien jumped away from that lead group of four, and Kelly went after him in vain before Barry and Lacey were left to fight it out for third and fourth; Lacey getting there just in front of the Blarney man.
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In the A3 race, Stephen Murray (Dungarvan CC) won from a bunch sprint ahead of Barry Sutton and Aidan Considine.
Midleton rider John O'Connor animated the race with some sterling efforts off the front and on the first lap he gunned it from the start and got himself a healthy looking lead of some 30 seconds before the hills, two in total, sapped his energy and he was back in the bunch before too long.
Richie Barry (St Finbarr's CC) was next to try his luck and he too forged clear for the most part of a lap but with the draggy climb out of Cloyne proving difficult, a one-man show was never likely to stay away for the entire race and he'll rue no one else coming across to him to share the workload.
The race began to split up on the third and fourth laps with some strong riding up those climbs popping one after another out the back and by the finish there was hardly 25 riders left to contest the gallop, which Murray won in fine style.
In the A4 race, Brian O'Keeffe was first over the line and had 15 seconds to spare over the bunch which was led in by Dermot Cummins (Midleton CC) and John Hayes (U/A).
RESULTS
A1-A2 Race, 117 kilomteres
1 Páidi O'Brien (Dan Morrissey/Speedy/Spokes)
2 Robin Kelly (Waterford Racing CC)
3 Sean Lacey (Dan Morrissey/Speedy Spokes)
4 Eddie Barry (Blarney CC)
5 Michael Fitzgerald (Dan Morrissey/Speedy Spokes)
6 Martin O'Loughlin (Iverk Produce/Carrick Wheelers)
7 Dermot Radford (Tipperary Wheelers)
8 Aidan Crowley (DID Dunboyne)
A3 Race, 91 kilometres
1 Stephen Murray (Dungarvan CC)
2 Barry Sutton (DID Dunboyne)
3 Aidan Considine (Dolmen CC)
4 Russell Treacy (St Finbarr's)
5 Brian Hart (Limerick CC)
6 Willie Whelan (Galtee Wheelers)
A4 Race
1 Brian O'Keeffe (Waterford CC)
2 Bernard Cummins Midleton CTC
3 John Hayes (U/A)
4 D Aher (St Finbarr's)
5 S Hughes (Midleton CTC)
6 Jamie O'Donoghue (Killorglin)
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