Aquablue's Keith Gater takes John Nolan GP in Navan from UCD CC's Séan McKenna

Keith Gater, seen here attacking in the Lacey Cup back in February, has taken his first win since coming back from a very serious crash in 2011 (Photo: www.blackumbrellaphotography.com)

By Brian Canty

Keith Gater landed his first win since returning from an horrific accident in 2011 when he took the John Nolan GP in Navan in Co Meath yesterday, Sunday.

The Aquablue man had already gone close this year, taking third in the St Patrick’s Day race in Carrick on Suir and second in the John Drumm Memorial in Currow.

But he finally got the monkey off his back when he beat the strong and emerging duo of Sean McKenna (UCD) and Javan Nulty (DID Dunboyne) in Meath yesterday, with those filling 2^nd and 3^rd spots.

Gater has been saddled with domestique duties for many of the bigger races this year as his Aquablue team went about wreaking havoc in many of the early season fixtures such as Rás Mumhan.

There, they took two stage wins with Damian Shaw and Timmy Barry, as well as the overall with Shaw and the mountains jersey with Barry. And Gater was one of key people on the team that weekend.

In those races where he has finished second, he was beaten twice by Paidi O’Brien who is currently racing in Belgium. Gater saw his chance yesterday and he took it well.

Once again he had a teammate in the crucial breakaway in the shape of Joe Fenlon, and those two were arguably the strongest in yesterday’s 75 miler.

Coming in the road they performed some neat 1-2 moves on their challengers with Gater eventually clipping away and Fenlon holding on for seventh. The latter will go to the Nationals in a little under two weeks as favourite to defend his veterans’ title.

Yesterday, in temperatures as hot as 32 degrees, the peloton was active from the drop of the flag and a dangerous looking move of 10 riders quickly pulled out a gap on those behind – with several of the big players not present.

More joined that escape, with Chris Reilly (Bohermeen CC) and Javan Nulty (DID Dunboyne) among those riding across.

On such a lumpy course it was always going to be a war of attrition and by the halfway stage the race had settled down with those behind in the bunch sapped and not too keen on chasing.

Up front there were 16 riders, a very large escape group which a number of riders set about attacking in order to reduce it in size.

Gater and Fenlon were strong, as was triathlon convert James Davenport (South Dublin CC). And with five kilometres to go there was a group of 10 away.

The Aquablue duo began attacking incessantly, but to no avail. However, the group did start to fragment as the kilometres ticked down. Eventually, Gater went and only McKenna could stay with him. They worked well together, with Gater getting it on the line and the chase group some 10 seconds further back, with Nulty leading them in.