Britain's Akers wins as Irish champ O'Brien has nightmare finish in Clonmel

*Oli Akers of Great Britain on his way to victory in the junior race at Verge Cross Clonmel (Photo: Toby Watson, homepage photo by Sean Rowe)*

An emerging young British cyclocross talent, Oli Akers won the junior race in Verge Cross Clonmel on Sunday from his Garden Shed-Ribble-Verge Sport team mate Seb Grindley with Irish champion Liam O'Brien in 3rd; the top three separated by just 16 seconds.

However, it could have been very different for Fermoy CC's O'Brien had been not suffered a nightmare final lap when the 17-year-old slipped his chain and then needed a bike change having been the long-time race leader.

O'Brien was in 2nd place, right behind Akers, going into that final lap, of five, and with his chances of victory still very much alive when his finale was derailed by his mechanical problem. The slipped chain coming off a ramp forced him to run the short distance to the pits and change bikes.

From that moment, and having also just made a small mistake that cost him a few seconds, O'Brien tried to close up to the two British team mates. However, the gap had gone out too much and he had to be content with 3rd.

Last year at Verge Cross Clonmel - a UCI-ranked event - Akers and O'Brien had just moved up from the U16 ranks for their first cyclocross season at junior level. The junior race in Clonmel that day was won by Nathan Smith (Garden Shed-Ribble-Verge Sport) with his team mate Akers in 2nd place and O'Brien placing 3rd.

*Liam O'Brien put in a great ride but a slipped chain and a run to the pits cost him dearly on the final lap (Photo: Toby Watson)*

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Since then Akers has finished 6th in the European Cyclocross Championships and more recently, just last weekend, won the latest round of the British National Series. But on Sunday in Clonmel O'Brien was a match for him all the way, but for the Irish teenager's mishaps on the final lap.

O'Brien started a little slower than Akers and Grindley; falling a few seconds behind them on the opening lap. However, he was faster than his two British rivals on the second lap; closing the gap to them and edging passed them to lead the race.

As that leading trio pulled clear of the rest of the field, O'Brien led going out onto the third lap. And though Akers nudged slightly ahead going onto the last lap, with Grindley a little behind them both, there was nothing between the top three until O'Brien's problems cost him dearly on the final circuit.

Up ahead of him, Akers - who rode very strongly and was a worthy winner - pulled clear of Grindley on the last lap to take victory from him, with O'Brien in 3rd. Behind the leading three, a great scrap emerged among some of the strongest Irish juniors.

Travis Harkness (VC Glendale) won that battle, to finish 4th at 1:09. He was 15 seconds up on Neill Curtis (Carn Wheelers), in 5th at 1:24, with Samuel Coleman (Orchard CC) a further six seconds back in 6th place. Coleman was just one second up on Irish junior road race champion Oisin Ferrity (Island Wheelers), who finished in 7th place, some 1:31 down on the winner.

Joseph Mullen of Navan Road Club placed 8th, at 1:46, while Cal Tutty (Dungarvan CC) was 9th at 3:07. Tadhg Killeen (Orwell Wheelers) rounded out the top 10 in the junior race at 3:25.