UCD’s Cassidy continued the club’s good run in Carlow on Sunday (Photo: Gillian Peelo)
Colm Cassidy has continued UCD CC’s good run in 2012 by taking victory in the Mark Hayden Memorial in Kildavin, Co Carlow, at the weekend.
Cassidy got the better of breakaway companion Greg Swinand (Usher IRC) at the finish after the duo had gone clear of a large 15-man breakaway at around the halfway point of the 120km race.
The main event was open to A1 and A2 riders on the hilly circuit; four laps of 30km.
Some of the early moves featured the likes of Thomas Lavery (Comeragh CC) and Joe Fenlon, the new vets champion from Dan Morrissey-Speedy Spokes.
But while the opening portion of the race was aggressive, none of the early moves made any real headway and were reeled in each time.
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On the second lap after the long drag out of Kildavin heading towards Mount Leinster, a decisive group got clear with 15 riders eventually emerging off the front.
While a number of the race favourites were there, including new Leinster Champion Mark Dowling (DID Dunboyne), that group proved too big to work with any great degree of cooperation and some of the stronger riders began attacking from it.
Not long after the move had gone clear, Cassidy and Swinand took the bull by the horns and jumped the others on the hill outside Clonegal. They gained a quick advantage and while there was still over half the race remaining, that duo put the heads down. Combining well, they were never seen again.
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Behind them, however, the racing was not over, with a chase organised by a number of riders including Keith Fox (Planet X), David Wherity (Stamullen), and Fiachra O'Mhuire (DID Dunboyne), with Con Collis of UCD for company.
However, the fire-power of the duo up front proved too much and though Swinand attacked a number of times to get clear of Cassidy on the last lap, those moves came to nothing.
The pair arrived at the finish together, with Cassidy easily getting past Swinand to take the Carlow Road Club promoted event.
Mark Hayden Memorial - Sponsored by Clarwick Ltd and PJ Coleman Plant Hire.
1st Colm Cassidy (UCD)
2nd Greg Swinand (Usher IRC)
3rd Fiachra O'Mhuire (DID)
4th David Wherity (Stamullen)
5th Con Collis (UCD)
6th Keith Fox (Planet X)
7th Eddie Barry (Blarney CC)
8th Michael Hennessy (Fermoy)
9th Mark Dowling (DID)
10th Geoff Sheehan (South Dublin CC)
1st Unplaced A2 Fran Gibson (South Dublin)
2nd Unplaced A2 Mike Brakefield
1st Woman Anne Dalton (Orwell Wheelers)
A3 Race: Nial Murphy Memorial; Sponsored by Tom Murphy Equipment
1st Brian Hart Limerick CC
2nd Damien Croue DWCC
3rd Brendan Maloney
4th Brian Cullen Barrow Wheelers
5th Damien O’Farrell Garda CC
6th Phil O'Flaherty Swords
7th Martin Doyle Slaney CC
8th Hugh Byrne Slaney CC
A4 Race
1st Donal Daley Garda CC
2nd Wayne Dolan Usher IRC
3rd Michael Lawlor LARC
4th Cian Cullen Dunboyne CC
5th Ediberto Isidro Dunboyne CC
6th Hugh Gallagher Naas CC
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