Barnes on top at Verge Cross Clonmel, Harvey best of Irish

*Toby Barnes wins the elite men's race at Verge Cross Clonmel (Photo by Sean Rowe)*

Toby Barnes (Garden Shed-Ribble-Verge Sport) has emerged best in a tight battle for victory at Verge Cross Clonmel in Powerstown Park, Clonmel, Co Tipperary today. He led in compatriot Ben Chilton (Spectra Wiggle) buy seven seconds with another British rider, Jenson Young (Garden Shed-Ribble-Verge Sport) in 3rd just nine seconds down.

Dean Harvey (Spellman Dublin Port) was the best Irish rider on the day; taking 4th place at 2:02. Joe Coukham (Garden Shed-Ribble-Verge Sport) was 5th at 2:25 with Irish rider Darnell Moore (Caldwell Cycles) rounding out the top six at 3:00.

Barnes may have prevailed, on a dirty day for cyclocross, but only after a great battle at the head of the field with both his own team mate Young and eventual runner-up Chilton; with the destination of the victory in the balance until deep into the race.

On the opening lap there was nothing to separate Barnes and Chilton, with Jenson just a handful of seconds behind the leading duo and Ireland’s Harvey giving away 20 seconds to the two men at the front.

Dean Harvey's thousand-yarn stare reflects just how hard the race was; the Irish road and cyclocross international finishing in 4th place behind an all-British podium in the men's main event (Photo: Toby Watson)

On the second lap, it was Chilton who proved best out front, pulling clear of Barnes by about five seconds, with Young in 3^rd place also closing in a little on Barnes. Behind the leading three British riders, Harvey had a much better second lap and lost just five seconds to the eventual winner.

Again, on the third lap, Chilton pulled out another few seconds on Barnes, who was overtaken by Young in the battle for 2^nd and 3^rd positions. However, as the race moved into the fourth lap of seven, Barnes came back.

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He closed in on Chilton by a couple of seconds, with just seven seconds separating them going out onto the fifth lap, while also overtaking Jenson, who was now pushed into 3^rd place again, but only by a few seconds.

On lap five, Barnes showed his class; the only rider in the field to cover the lap in under nine minutes and drawing level with Chilton before putting six seconds into him on the penultimate lap and distancing him by a further second on the lap to win it by seven seconds.

*Kevin McCambridge of Trinity Racing is tackling this year's cyclocross season and rounded out the top 10 today (Photo: Toby Watson)*

Jenson put in a great last top – cutting the gap to Jenson in 2^nd place by 12 seconds but failing to catch him, but just two seconds, and having to settle for 3^rd place.

In 4^th place, Harvey shipped most of his time to the eventual top three in the second half of the race. However, over nine-minute laps and his losses to eventual winner Barnes, for example, were less than 30 seconds; a solid performance by the 19-year-old coming off a busy road season which included Tour de l’Avenir.

Coukham trailed Harvey by 35 seconds today in taking 5^th place whole Ireland’s Moore – the former elite Irish cyclocross champion – was a further 35 seconds back in 6^th. British rider Simon Wyllie (Spectra Wiggle) was 7^th at 4:13.

Seán Nolan (Evo Pro Racing) was the third Irish rider to finish, placing 8^th, followed by compatriots Sam Bolger (Killarney CC) – in his first weeks out of the junior ranks – in 9^th and Rás Tailteann stage winner this year, Kevin McCambridge (Trinity Racing) rounding out the top 10.