Willem O'Connor put in an epic performance on stage 2 and though he would have loved a 'home town' win, he took 2nd and also leads the young rider classification and county rider classification (Photo: Toby Watson)
By Shane Stokes
It’s often said that a yellow jersey raises the game of those who are leading a big race. The same can apply to competing on home roads, which is exactly what inspired Willem O’Connor on Thursday.
The 20 year old Cork: O’Leary Stone Kanturk rider is from Crookstown, just 45km from the stage 2 finish in Banteer. He also spent many years racing with the local Kanturk team, and confirmed Thursday that he was spurred on by those factors.
“I am from Crookstown, we actually cycled through there today on the stage,” he told Sticky Bottle. “My grandparents and my sisters were watching so it was nice to see them. I threw them a little wave just before the race kicked off.
“I really, really wanted to win today. But in fairness to Tim [stage winner Tim Shoreman] and Wheelbase, they rode it perfectly. Tim is a really hard guy to beat in a sprint like that. They worked very well together. I think second is the best I could have gotten today, and I am pretty happy.”
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Willem O'Connor sprints in for 2nd place on the stage, just behind Tim Shoreman and ahead of Conn McDunphy (Photo: Toby Watson)
O’Connor will, of course, mull over what might have been. Was there anything he might have done differently?
“Maybe,” he said. “I launched a bit early but ultimately I don’t think it would have made that much of a difference. Tim has a sprint that I just don’t have.
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“I can play it over and over but I’ll never know if it would have worked out differently.”
Whatever frustrations he might feel to have gone so close, he still had plenty to smile about. He jumped up to third overall, 42 seconds behind the new race leader Adam Lewis (USA: APS Pro Cycling), and is just eight seconds behind Shoreman.
He’s also the best young rider in the race, and said keeping the white jersey for the remainder of the Rás is a big goal.
Denis Withers presents the Spin 11 U23 leader's jersey to Williem O’Connor of the O'Leary Stone Kanturk team (Photo: Lorraine O'Sullivan)
“That is something that I really want to do,” he said. “The itch for a stage win is still there, three more chances so I am not going to give up for sure.
“Second place is nice but I really want to get my arms in the year. Last year in the Rás Mumhan I was second on two stages, so it is a bit of a curse coming second. I am just missing that final first place.”
Three stages remain; Friday’s race to Enniscorthy, Saturday’s race to Baltinglass and Sunday’s final leg to Dunboyne. He’s clear which one offers most to him.
“I think Saturday,’ he said. “I don’t consider myself a full climber, but definitely some rolling roads suit me a lot better than just a flat day. So we will go again.”
There may not be home roads to psyche him next time, but both what he achieved Thursday plus the white jersey will definitely drive him on.
