Breakthrough ride as Millar takes Ciclisport GP from Dolan, Buchanan & Jeffers

Mike Millar sees off breakaway companion Liam Dolan to take the Ciclisport GP main event in horrendous conditions (Photo: Marian Lamb - Cycling Ulster)

Enjoying his first ever win in a bike race, Phoenix CC’s Mike Millar has sprung from a breakaway to take the two-up sprint that decided the Ciclisport GP promoted by East Tyrone CC yesterday, Saturday.

With six laps to cover and the riders quickly caked in mud from the rain and mucky course, a breakaway quickly emerged and immediately set to work to build what they hoped would be a race winning lead.

The escape included the East Antrim Audi duo of William Larmour and Daniel Stewart; the latter 2nd on the Tour of Ards last week after a very strong display and named on the Irish U23 team for Kerry Group Rás Mumhan during last week.

Marc Buchanan (North Pole) was also in the move and showed his form by making the early breakaway in the Des Hanlon Memorial in Carlow last week.

The man of the early season last year, Gary Jeffers of East Tyrone also in the move as was eventual winner Mike Millar and his team mate Brian Stewart (Phoenix CC), along with the in-form Angus Fyffe (Omagh Wheelers), Ronan McLaughlin of Dig Deep-Inspired Cycling and Cuchulainn CC’s Liam Dolan.

While there were efforts made in the bunch behind to get a group clear to join the breakaway, nobody touched the men up front.

Most active in those efforts behind the leaders was Gary Cranston of East Antrim Audi, who had the misfortune of puncturing out of the breakaway at the Tour of Ards last weekend.

While there were perhaps bigger names in the 9-man group up front, it was Miller and Dolan who took flight in the latter stages and they went on to sprint it out for the win, with Miller getting the better of his breakaway companion to take a first win he was delighted with.

Buchanan led the rest of the escape home for 3^rd place, with Jeffers 4^th, Lamour in 5^th followed by Brian and Daniel Stewart 6^th and 7^th, Fyffe 8^th and McLaughlin 9^th.

It was then left to Paul Mulligan (Caldwell Cycles) to take 10^th place in the sprint to the line from the best of the rest long after the breakaway had finished.

The A3 race followed a similar pattern, with an escape going clear and surviving to the finish though it was smaller than the breakaway in the A1-A2 event.

In the A3 move were Jude Sands (Newry Wheelers) and junior riders Ryan Reilly (Foyle CC), Evan Donaghue (Four Masters) and Darnell Moore (Caldwell Cycles).

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They worked well around the five laps, for a race distance of almost 50 miles, and despite a chase group getting organised behind containing the likes of Gordon Scott (East Antrim Audi) and Declan Mulholland of Clann Eireann, who has already won two races this season, the breakaway opened the gap all the way to the finish.

It was Foyle CC’s Reilly who took the initiative in the closing stages, surging forward to take victory from Sands, with Donaghue rounding out the podium just ahead of Moore, who rode so well in Carlow last weekend.

Behind, the bunch sprint for 5^th was taken by Mulholland, from Barry Hamilton of North Down, Scott and Carn Wheelers’ Barry Russell.

In the A4 race, Paul Crowe came home alone for a second win on the day for Phoenix CC, with Mike Curran of Curran Racing in 2^nd also on his won, and Aaron McQuaid (Errigal CC) rounding out the podium.

The junior race was won from a breakaway by Jake Grey (East Tyrone) from Adam Stenson of Lucan CRC in Dublin, who had spent a large chunk of the race out from on his own.