Adam Stenson takes Belgian kermesse win for FBD Talent Team 2020

Irish U16 rising star Adam Stenson has taken victory at the Heestert Kermesse in Belgium riding for the FBD Talent Team 2020.

The Irish FBD Talent Team 2020 got its Belgian adventure off to a great start yesterday, with Adam Stenson taking victory in the Heestert kermesse for U16s.

Stenson led home a whopping field of 112 starters, with teammate Ronan Tuomey third in the UCI 1.17.3 event.

Also in the field for the national development set-up were Ronan Tuomey Dion McCarthy, Jake Gray and Dillon Corkery.

Stenson, who rides for the Lucan CRC club at home, was very aggressive throughout and at the midway point he had gone clear on his own and enjoyed a gap of 15 seconds on the field.

When a group later formed out front, he was still there and in the seven-man escape he was joined by team mates McCarthy and Gray.

As the Irish drove on and the escape pulled clear, the stronger Belgian teams who had missed the boat sensed the danger and began an organised chase.

The Irish were to the fore when the attacking started off the front of the breakaway, and it was Stenson who was again making his presence felt.

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He pulled clear with American rider James Brookshire.

With just 13km remaining they had pulled out 12 seconds but looked likely to be caught as the race headed out on the final lap.

Tuomey however surged across the gap on his own and put in a huge effort to drag the other two clear with Stenson winning from Brookshire and Tuomey taking third.

"Adam and the American looked like being caught but Ronan has a huge engine and time trialled his way across on his own," said team manager Martin O'Loughlin afterwards.

"He then put in a huge effort to get them a gap of 53 seconds by the line. Nobody had ever had more than 15 seconds during the whole race so it was a great ride by Ronan. Adam was the man of the race and deserved his win but Ronan made sure he got it with the ride."

The U16 riders and a number of U14s in Belgium with the talent team were due to ride separate races at two locations today, Sunday.

Conor McCann was also selected to travel, but on arrival he fell ill. He could not start yesterday's race as a result and has now travelled home.