Breakaway powered by experience gains minutes in Newry

Harry Howlett has raced several times in Ireland with Halesowen Academy-Mapei and now he has a very strong win in the bag (Photo: Belgian Project)

The general classification at the Newry Three Day may not have been completely reshaped on stage 2 today, Saturday - with 1st and 2nd from yesterday again in the winning breakaway today - but, still, things have changed.

Stage 1 winner and yellow jersey, Bryan McCrystal (Bear Cycling), and Paul Kennedy (Burren CC) initially missed today's move, but were soon setting off in pursuit. Neil Delahaye (Bellurgan Wheelers) was the big loser of the day, though that wasn't of his own making.

Delahaye was in the winning moving, and looked set to line up a general classification challenge on this race, until his gears stopped cooperating.

That left him stuck in a huge gear, which he would have no problem getting around on the flat or in a TT, but not on today's undulating terrain in such a strong breakaway.

But at the pointy end of the stage, on the kick up to the finish line, it was one of the British visitors, Harry Howllet (Halesowen Academy-Mapei), who proved too strong for the other breakaway men.

He claimed the stage win by just one second from Kennedy, who was also runner-up on yesterday's opener. And when the yellow jersey, McCrystal, lost some time at the last - 7th at 17 seconds - that put Kennedy into the race lead, with one stage remaining.

Stage 2 today - some 112km on the Rathfriland Circuit - saw the first batch of the breakaway getting clear with about 20km completed, just after the first KOH prime of Rathfriland.

In that move were: Drew McKinley of promoting club Newry Wheelers, Jamie Clarke (North Down CC), Aaron Watson (Powerhouse Sport), Delahaye, Mark McGrady (Velo Cafe Magasin), Luke Mannings (Halesowen Academy-Mapei) and Gareth McCullough (Unattached).

They knuckled down to the task of pulling out time and immediately they got clear it was obvious they meant business. Yellow jersey McCrystal clearly thought so, as he was soon on the move out of the bunch and across to the breakaway.

McCrystal had eventual stage winner Howlett for company, as they got across, with Mark Shannon (Burren Cycling Club) was also up there as well as Ronan Killeen (Lucan Cycling Road Club). Kennedy also set off from the bunch, getting across to the winning move.

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Results stage 2 Rathfriland Circuit, all classifications, Newry Three Day

Manning and McCullagh attacked the breakaway with about 40km to go and gained a gap, with Kennedy and McCrystal doing much of the work to get them back, which they did with about 15km to go.

Then it was the turn of Shannon to have a go; attacking solo with about 8km to go and getting a gap. However, though he looked like he had great chance of making it, he was caught and passed with about 100m to go and to settled for 3rd.

Howlett won by a single second, from Kennedy, with Shannon 3rd at five seconds as the group split on the climb to the finish line. Killeen was 4th at eight seconds, followed by McCullagh in 5th at 10 seconds.

Then came Mannings, 6th at 17 seconds, and McCrystal, in 7th at 17 seconds. Clarke was 8th at 30 seconds and McKinley, placing 9th at 40 seconds.

There was then a very long wait before Dan Ascroft (Halesowen Academy-Mapei) and Fintan Murray (Crossgar Cycling Club) finished in 10th and 11th at 4:12, with the main bunch at 6:40.

Kennedy now leads overall, by nine seconds, from Killeen, with McCrystal now 3rd, at 17 seconds, and today's stage winner, Howlett, in 4th at 1:13 with just one day to go.

July 3rd-5th | Newry Three Day

Newry, Co Down

Promoted by Newry Wheelers CC

Sat, July 4th | Stage 1, Rathfriland – Circuit (111.76km)