Bob Maye crosses the line to win the Ken Duff Memorial; the 17-year-old the third generation of his family in the sport of cycling after his grandfather, dad and two uncles before him (Photo: Sean Rowe)
When Conn McDunphy got home on Sunday night and looked at the Shay Elliott Memorial trophy, surveying all the names of the greats who’ve won this race, he'd have seen Colm Maye, the 1991 winner.
Maye's name is engraved between that of 1990 winner, Darach McQuaid, and 1992 victor, Olympian Robert Power; good company to keep.
In the 1980s and 1990s the Mayes - from Clonard in Co Meath - were some of the most aggressive, and successful, riders on the domestic scene. Brothers Alan, Colm and Ken all knew how to get to the front of a bike race.
Their family, headed by Des, also made Rapparee bikes; custom made frames, with the colour scheme of your choice. Their bikes were a big deal in those bleak, duffel coat, days of 1980s and early 1990s Ireland.
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And so a steady stream of racing cyclists on the Irish scene at the time made the pilgrimage to the workshop in Clonard to get a Rapparee; very much a luxury item, especially given the modest incomes of the time.
Everybody knew the Mayes.
And now, two years after Des sadly passed, the new generation has stepped up.
Bob Maye - grandson of gentleman Des, and Alan's son - sailed across the finish line at the end of the Ken Duff Memorial on Sunday celebrating his first big win. It was the support race to the Shay Elliott won by his uncle 35 years ago.
Eventual winner Bob Maye of Clonard Road Club leads the breakaway in the early stages of the Ken Duff Memorial in Co Wicklow (Photo: Sean Rowe)
The 17-year-old worked hard last year, his first season as a junior; carrying the family's Clonard Road Club colours in the peloton. And when he got sight of the finish line on Sunday, going for the win, he made no mistake.
James Davenport (Velo Revolution-Speed Queen) was the only one left with young Maye, from an original five-man breakaway. And Davenport - no stranger to big wins - had to settle for 2nd. It was Maye's day to shine.
"I'm delighted, I still can't believe it," Maye Jnr told stickybottle, adding coming over the line as winner "was an extraordinary feeling".
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"I didn't really know what to feel, I didn't think I could win it for a long time... would the bunch catch us or not. Coming across the line, I didn't know what to think, I was just shocked.
"It's also a long time since Clonard Road Club won something, so I'm definitely really happy to get the ball rolling again."
A small group took off shortly after the start and got a gap. Maye decided he'd jump after them. He got across and, when the group swelled to five, they were away.
"We had a good bit of a gap straight away, because the bunch weren't chasing for a good while. A few lads were initially behind me trying to get onto the move, but I think I was the last one on."
On the opening lap, the group was trimmed back to four, with Maye saying "the first half hour was really touch, probably the hardest I've done for that first half hour".
But after that they settled into sharing the workload, cooperating smoothly until the final lap of four, on the 24km circuit. On that final lap, Maye attacked, with the group whittled down to three, then two - just Maye and Davenport.
"I just kept trying to ride hard at the front, kept trying to drop (Davenport), because he was strong. I never lost him. But at the finish, with a few hundred metres to go, I sprinted early enough and it worked out for me."
Over the winter, Maye said he was unlucky in picking up some illness and injury. That meant his increase in training, towards the season, started very late. That resulted in a delayed the start to his campaign, opting not to race until the end of March.
"I didn't expect to be in good form at this stage, but hopefully I can build on it now," he said. "The legs feel like there is more left in them. And the Junior Tour is probably the biggest goal now."
Maye added he felt he was going well last weekend as part of the Cycling Leinster selection at the Kanturk Three Day, especially being among the C2 group that held off the C1s on the opening stage.
Now a 5th year student in Rochfortbridge, Co Westmeath, he said he hoped to get abroad to race over the summer, possibly Belgium, having had those opportunities last year with Cycling Leinster.
And what about carrying the family name and tradition in cycling? A help or a hindrance?
He laughs: "It's never been negative. Having by dad there, and my two uncles, it definitely does help me a lot. They've definitely taught me a lot."
