Cassidy celebrates as he crosses the line alone to take stage one (Photo: Conor McKeown Photography)
By Brian Canty
UCD rider Colm Cassidy takes a 22 second advantage into the second stage of the Ballinrobe 2-Day tomorrow after he won the opening stage this afternoon, Saturday, with a brilliant attack four kilometres from the finish which proved to be the race-winning move.
Cassidy, the defending champion, is clearly in good form and having performed superbly in the Suir Valley Three-Day last weekend, he'll be hopeful of retaining his title here.
But with the top 10 riders separated by just 28 seconds, and eight teams represented in there, it promises to be another cracking days racing tomorrow.
Cassidy didn't have it easy today though, and had to do it the hard way as he was just one of seven A1 riders who had signed on, and with a handicap of four minutes to the first group of juniors, vets and women, it was anything but easy on a tough circuit.
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Indeed there were five climbs punctuating the day's 80 kilometre stage but by the fourth of those categorised climbs the A1s had reeled in the front group, mainly due to the work of Cassidy himself as well as Anthony Walsh, riding in the colours of French team Apoge-Super U.
There was to be no hanging around once caught however, as a seven man group broke off the front and worked well together in keeping the peloton at bay.
In that breakaway group were promising Castlebar junior Liam Corcoran, Cassidy, Walsh, Lakeside CC rider Peter Rimmer, the Galway Bay CC duo of Nigel Forde and Liam Frawley as well as Michael Flanagan (Western Lakes).
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They surged clear, but sensing danger a five-man escape group formed featuring Fermoy's Michael Hennessy, Jason Prendergast (Cunga CC), Connor McIlwaine (Errigal CC), David Brennan of Castlebar and Murphy Surveys/Kilcullen veteran David Peelo.
They succeeded in bridging across with three kilometres to go to make it a nine-man group up front but Cassidy had absconded for the stage win just minutes earlier.
Interestingly, of that 10-man chase group (Flanagan dropped out), there were two juniors in Corcoran and Prendergast in the top four - they sandwiched Michael Hennessy who was third on the stage.
It certainly was no day for the faint hearted and with a strong south easterly breeze and tough 'dead' roads, it sure was a war of attrition, with Cassidy proving the strongest.
And the UCD man had more reason to celebrate when his stage win gave him double points for the points classification, meaning he is the overnight leader in that classification, while his stage win also garnered him a five second bonus.
There were a couple of riders who freed themselves of the peloton on the approach to the line, gaining a few seconds in the process, and that peloton was led in by Kanturk CC rider Laurent Dumoulin, albeit almost four minutes down.
Though tomorrow's time trial should shake things up a little, it appears the winner will be coming from that front group, and Cassidy looks like the man to beat so far.
Stage 1 Results
PL No. UCI Code Name TM Team Time @
1 1 A1 Cassidy,Colm UCD 1 2h06'53"
2 92 A3 Jun Corcoran,Liam Castlebar CC 2h07'13" @20"
3 67 A1 Hennessy,Michael Fermoy CC 2h07'13" @ s/t
4 100 A3 Jun Prendergast,Jason Cunga CC 2h07'13" @ s/t
5 20 A1 Brennan,David Castlebar CC 2h07'13" @ s/t
6 32 A1 Peelo,David Murphy Surveys Kilcullen 2 2h07'13" @ s/t
7 41 A2 Mc Ilwaine,Conor Errigal CC 2h07'13" @ s/t
8 17 A2 Rimmer,Peter Lakeside Wheelers 2 2h07'13" @ s/t
9 85 A1 Walsh,Anthony Apoge Super U 2h07'13" @ s/t
10 54 A1 Frawley,Liam Galway Bay CC 2h07'16" @23"
11 57 A3 Forde,Nigel Galway Bay CC 2h07'16" @ s/t
12 5 A2 Collins,Ross UCD 1 2h07'20" @27"
13 10 A2 Flanagan,Michael Western Lakes CC 2h07'54" @01'01"
14 34 A2 Steed,Ciaran Murphy Surveys Kilcullen 2 2h08'02" @01'09"
15 30 A2 Byrne,William Murphy Surveys Kilcullen 1 2h08'02" @ s/t
16 4 A3 Parker,Barrick UCD 1 2h08'02" @ s/t
17 76 A2 Vet Dumoulin,Laurent Kanturk CC 2h10'38" @03'45"
18 48 A2 Nugent,David Seven Springs 2h10'38" @ s/t
19 26 A3 Fitzsimons,David Murphy Surveys Kilcullen 1 2h10'38" @ s/t
20 82 A3 Whelan,William Galtee Wheelers 2h10'38" @ s/t
21 33 A2 Enright,Gareth Murphy Surveys Kilcullen 2 2h10'38" @ s/t
22 84 A3 O Dwyer,Senan Limerick CC 2h10'38" @ s/t
23 49 A2 Martin,Brian Seven Springs 2h10'38" @ s/t
24 2 A2 Conluain,Ciaran UCD 1 2h10'38" @ s/t
25 65 A3 Johnston,Cathal SDCC 2h10'38" @ s/t
26 8 A3 Jun Heneghan,Kieran Western Lakes CC 2h10'38" @ s/t
27 40 A3 Hunter,Danny Errigal CC 2h10'38" @ s/t
28 53 A1 Joyce,Derek Galway Bay CC 2h10'38" @ s/t
29 75 A3 Spain,John Bray Wheelers 2h10'38" @ s/t
30 59 A3 Walsh,Billy Black Rose racing 2h10'38" @ s/t
31 61 A3 Kidd,Graeme Usher IRC 2h10'38" @ s/t
32 16 A3 Cunnane,Billy Lakeside Wheelers 2 2h10'38" @ s/t
33 89 A3 VET Devins,Michael Eire Og 2h10'38" @ s/t
34 6 A2 Flaherty,JJ Western Lakes CC 2h10'38" @ s/t
35 42 A3 Mc Caffrey,Ted Errigal CC 2h10'38" @ s/t
36 14 A2 Kenny,Robbie Lakeside Wheelers 1 2h10'38" @ s/t
37 99 A3 O'Rourke,James Western Lakes CC2 2h10'38" @ s/t
38 95 A3 Doyle,Paul Fermoy CC 2h10'38" @ s/t
39 24 A2 Vet Troy,Chris Castlebar CC 2h10'38" @ s/t
40 9 A3 Ryan,Kevin Western Lakes CC 2h10'38" @ s/t
41 70 A3 O Connell,John Midleton CTC 2h10'38" @ s/t
42 97 A3 Maguire,Jim Shannonside Planet X CC 2h10'38" @ s/t
43 21 A3 Conroy,Rory Castlebar CC 2h10'38" @ s/t
44 78 A2 Collins,Aidan Orwell CC 2h10'38" @ s/t
45 23 A3 Mc Cormack,Gareth Castlebar CC 2h10'38" @ s/t
46 7 A3 Gilvarry,Michael Western Lakes CC 2h10'38" @ s/t
47 52 A3 Cleary,John Seven Springs 2h10'38" @ s/t
48 60 A2 Cox,Stuart Black Rose racing 2h10'38" @ s/t
49 56 A3 Jacobson,Alan Galway Bay CC 2h10'38" @ s/t
50 46 Roche,Damien West Clare CC 2h10'38" @ s/t
51 19 A3 Crowley,Paul Lakeside Wheelers 2 2h10'38" @ s/t
52 96 A3 VET Morgan,Eamonn West Clare CC 2h10'38" @ s/t
53 66 A3 Maloney,Brendan SDCC 2h10'38" @ s/t
54 22 A3 O Dowd,Tom Castlebar CC 2 2h10'47" @03'54"
55 31 A1 Lynch,John Murphy Surveys Kilcullen 2 2h15'42" @08'49"
56 55 A3 Bourke,Tony Galway Bay CC 2h15'42" @ s/t
57 91 A3 Ladies Dalton,Anne Orwell CC 2h15'42" @ s/t
58 94 A3 Johnson,Keith Lakeland CC 2h15'42" @ s/t
59 58 A3 VET Reade,Aidan Black Rose racing 2h15'42" @ s/t
60 45 Queally,Daithi West Clare CC 2h17'15" @10'22"
61 86 A2 Vet O Grady,Martin Team Toachim 2h17'53" @11'00"
62 71 A3 Creedon,Daithi South Side Wheely Wheelers 2h17'53" @ s/t
63 98 A2 Forrest,Denis Blarney CC 2h18'48" @11'55"
64 68 A1 Barrett,Olan Fermoy CC 2h18'49" @11'56"
65 37 A3 Doyle,Derek Murphy Surveys Kilcullen 3 2h18'49" @ s/t
66 51 A3 Kelly,James Seven Springs 2h18'49" @ s/t
67 62 A3 Vet Sharkey,Fergus Usher IRC 2h18'49" @ s/t
68 13 A3 Berry,Ken Lakeside Wheelers 1 2h18'49" @ s/t
69 101 O'Connell,Keith Covey Wheelers 2h18'49" @ s/t
70 18 A3 jun Eoin,Lynch Lakeside Wheelers 2 2h18'49" @ s/t
71 77 A3 Ladies Brice,Amy Phoenix CC 2h18'49" @ s/t
72 63 A3 Nevill,Brian Shannonside Planet X CC 2h18'49" @ s/t
73 28 A3 Donnelly,Barry Murphy Surveys Kilcullen 1 2h18'49" @ s/t
74 74 A3 Roache,Kevin Unattached 2h18'49" @ s/t
75 80 A3 Clogher,Alan Stamullen CC 2h18'49" @ s/t
76 44 Bourke,David West Clare CC 2h18'49" @ s/t
77 38 A3 Browne,Liam Murphy Surveys Kilcullen 3 2h18'49" @ s/t
78 83 A1 Kelly,Robin Waterford CC 2h18'49" @ s/t
79 72 A3 Creighton,Damien Blanch Wheelers 2h18'49" @ s/t
80 43 Donovon,Padraig West Clare CC 2h18'56" @12'03"
81 11 A3 Marrey,Joe Western Lakes CC2 2h23'28" @16'35"
82 25 A3 Jun Walsh,Thomas Castlebar CC 2 2h23'30" @16'37"
83 3 A3 Doherty,Cathal UCD 1 2h23'30" @ s/t
84 36 A3 Ryan,Enda Murphy Surveys Kilcullen 3 2h23'30" @ s/t
85 12 A3 Moran,Michael Western Lakes CC2 2h23'30" @ s/t
86 90 A3 Ladies Conway,Caroline Usher IRC 2h23'30" @ s/t
87 15 A3 Bracken,Ronan Lakeside Wheelers 1 2h23'33" @16'40"
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