Conor Murphy, the Irish junior competing with French team U19 Academy Région Sud powered by Giant this year, has told stickybottle he was happy with his first international competitive outings last weekend and felt he was now stronger on the climbs.
The 18-year-old was 3rd in the TT - from a massive international field of over 180 riders - at Gran Premio San Vicente-Costa Blanca-Junior C.R.I. (1.1) in San Vicente del Raspeig, Alicante. He also went on the attack in the road race the next day.
As a top tester - the Irish champion and junior 10 mile record holder and 10th in the Worlds last season - Murphy's TT ride in Spain, while impressive, came as no surprise. However, a number of factors also worked against him, both in the TT and, especially, in the road race.
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"It was a good weekend all around," he said. "In the TT on Saturday I felt I did a good ride but when I was out for my start time it was raining so it was pretty slippery out on the course.
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"And some of the boys that came out later got the advantage on us with the dryer weather. But overall I was pretty happy with that performance.
"On Sunday, unfortunately, I had a bit of illness in the morning, so it wasn't an idea start. I was getting sick on the bike in the race so I didn't have any food, really, in me and I just blew up in the last 10K out of the break.
"It was a good ride considering the circumstances and I'm happy with my progress. I'm climbing a lot better this year and I was able to stick with the top climbers there when they kicked so it's positive looking forward to the next few races."
The 7.7km flat TT was won by Spain’s Eñaut Urcaregui (GT Tolosa/Danena) in a time of 9:43. He beat compatriot, and Spanish junior international last year, Enrique Maranchón (Picusa Academy), by nine seconds. Murphy was 3rd at 17 seconds.
Murphy was in a breakaway for much of the road race before fading out of that move in the final 10km have his illness issues through the day. He eventually finished in 26th - of 177 starters - some 3:09 down in race winner, Belgian junior international Édouard Claisse (CC Chevigny U19).
