Aaron Wade has taken his latest win on home roads, with the Spanish-based 21-year-old proving best after an aggressive finale to the main event at the Crotty Cup in Co Clare today.
While the Equipo Cortizo rider bridged across to the winning breakaway solo, and then rode in the winning breakaway for most of the remainder of the race, he was forced into a bigger battle during the last 10km of the race. Ronan Killeen (Lucan CRC) took it to the remains of the breakaway men, splitting the group with a sustained attack and forcing the others to scramble behind.
However, Wade jumped those he was with and went off on a solo pursuit of both leader on the road, Killeen, and local rider, Mark Shannon (Burren Cycling Club). After first picking off Shannon, Wade kept Killeen in his sights and on passing the 2km to go marker he closed up to his back wheel.
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It was then a drag race to the line - mixed with some cat and mouse - before Wade got the better of Killeen in the two-up sprint for victory. Shannon secured 3rd for his efforts in the West Clare CC promotion, crossing the line about eight seconds after the race winner.
Evaldas Stankevicius (Greenmount CA) placed 4th while Aiden Connell (Dungarvan CC) was 5th, those two having been in the breakaway and were the last of the five riders who survived from that escape group, which numbered about 10 riders and was clear for most of the race.
The other five riders who were in the 10-man breakaway, but who were caught by the peloton after the break split on the last lap, were: Simon Ryan (Greenmount CA), Sam Moloney (Burren CC), Cathal Moynihan (Tralee Manor West BC), Padraig O'Sullivan (Newcastle West CC) and Michael Storan (West Clare CC).
In the end, Patrick O'Loughlin, the Panduit Carrick Wheelers first-year U23 rider who has been selected for the Rás Tailteann Irish team, came through from the peloton to take 6th place. Bryan Nolan (Newcastle West CC) was 7th, with Simon Ryan (Greenmount CA) 8th, Cathal Moynihan (Tralee Manor West BC) 9th and John Hodge (Dungarvan CC) rounding out the top 10.
Wade was presented with the winner's cup by his grandfather, Vincent Wade, a Co Clare man who is former chairman of promoting club West Clare CC.
How it unfolded
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The race today was run over three laps of a draggy course, on dead roads, for a total race distance of 130km. Eventual winner Wade set out his stall early and was one of the animators of the race from the opening lap, along with Paul Kennedy (Burren CC).
Though Wade and Kennedy made much of the running on the opening lap, they were heavily marked and were unable to get clear. A nine-man breakaway eventually got up the road nearing the end of the opening lap, with neither Wade nor Kennedy in it.
However, Wade allowed the gap to open and on a small rise through one of the villages on the course he made his move; getting clear of the bunch and blasting across to the leaders, whose advantage over the bunch was modest.
Once he was in that group they were working well. Those up front were, no doubt, keen to make the most of being in a working breakaway that did not contain Kennedy, such has been his form this season and the fact he was racing today on his club's home roads.
However, as the second lap unfolded, the gap between the breakaway and the bunch never got above 30 seconds and it was unclear at that point whether the leaders would make it all the way or eventually be caught. However, the steam eventually went out of the chase in the peloton, with the gap jumping to a minute on the third lap and increasing to about three minutes by race end.
As the final lap began, the 10-man leading group split, with Wade, Killeen, Shannon, Stankevicius and Connell pressing on out front. They continued to work away until they reached Kilkee with about 10km to go. At that point several attacks went on a climb, though it was Killeen's effort at the top of the hill that set the tone for the remainder of the race.
He forged clear on his own and was not brought back by any of the riders, bar Wade. Shannon was the first to go after Killeen, and though he closed most of the gap he couldn't quite get on to the Lucan rider. Wade then attacked Stankevicius and Connell and caught Shannon.
Wade then eventually closed up to Killeen just past the 2km to go marker and after some cat and mouse he got the upper hand in the sprint; winning from Killeen, with Shannon 3rd just behind them.
- For full results of all races at Crotty Cup 2023, please follow this link
