Conn McDunphy takes the opening stage and first yellow jersey at the Wexford Two Day A3 event. He would relinquish the lead in the Saturday evening TT but kept his head to win big on Sunday (Photo: Sean Rowe)
Having shown his potential on numerous occasions in recent seasons, junior rider Conn McDunphy came of age at the weekend.
He emerged with the final yellow jersey from the A3 race at the Wexford Two Day; the Lucan CRC man winning the opening stage from a breakaway but then losing yellow only to recapture it.
McDunphy won the sprint from the escape that settled the honours after 112kms on stage 1 early on Saturday.
He came home at the head of a five-man move that featured some of the names who should be among Ireland’s top elite riders in the next few years.
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McDunphy got the verdict from the strong Carrick Wheelers junior duo of Cathal Purcell and Aaron Kearney, with Seamus Sinnott of promoting club Wexford Wheelers in 4th place.
And bringing up the rear of the five sprinting for victory was Gerard Dunne of Navan Road Club.
Waterford Racing’s Paul Smith was 27 seconds behind in 6th place on the same time as Diarmuid Kavanagh of Bray Wheelers in 7th.
The key breakaway on the opening stage that shaped the general classification for the weekend (Photo: Sean Rowe)
Gavin Pyke of Carrick was one second further back in 8th; the only other man to give the bunch the slip on the day.
Paul Bolger of Slaney CC would bring the peloton home some 1:15 after McDunphy had floated over the line with his hands up in victory.
The gap meant that barring incident the race for the final yellow jersey was between the men in the front group.
And in the stage 2 TT on Saturday evening it was some of the same names to the fore once again.
Victory in the 5km test went to Matthew McCullagh of the Sundrive Track Team, who beat off Sean Moore of Barrow Wheelers by just six tenths of a second.
Then came the breakaway men from earlier in the day; Carrick’s Purcell finishing 3rd in the TT just 5.66 seconds down.
And just behind him was stage 1 winner McDunphy, 3 seconds down on Purcell.
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It was perhaps a disappointing result for McDunphy in that he had finished 7th, and second Irish rider, in the short opening time trial at the Junior Tour of Ireland last month.
Yellow jersey Purcell leads the group on the final stage, but when McDunphy took flight he claimed the overall victory for Lucan CRC at the expense of Carrick Wheelers (Photo: Sean Rowe)
Next best in the Wexford TT of the stage 1 breakaway men was Purcell's team mate Kearney; in 6th place and 13 seconds off the winner.
It meant Purcell took yellow into Sunday's final stage by three seconds from McDunphy, with Kearney in 3rd a further 5 seconds back.
It set up a stage 3 battle between Carrick Wheelers and Lucan CRC; two of the best clubs in the country at present at developing young talent.
At the end of that 120km final stage on Sunday, when a group of three survived to sprint it out for victory, McDunphy and Kearney were present with TT runner-up Sean Moore.
But yellow jersey Purcell was back in the bunch just 9 seconds down. Moore took the stage from McDunphy and Kearney.
That result meant McDunphy recaptured the yellow jersey he had lost in the previous evening's TT, with Kearney moving into 2nd place some 5 seconds down.
Overnight leader Purcell had to be content with 3rd on the final general classification, just six seconds down on the winner with local man Sinnott 4th at 16 seconds.
Aug 22nd & 23rd: Wexford Two Day A3 Race
Sponsored by Stafford Wholesale
Promoted by Wexford Wheelers
Stage 3: Wexford-Wexford (120km)
1 Moore,Sean Barrow Wheelers 2h35'56"
2 McDunphy,Conn Lucan Cycling Road @s/t
3 Kearney,Aaron Carrick Wheelers @s/t
4 Noone,Jamie UCD @09"
5 Delaney,Jerry Laois CTC @ s/t
6 Boyne,David Lakeside Wheelers @ s/t
7 Sutcliffe,Cian Lucan Cycling Road Cl @ s/t
8 McCullagh,Matthew Sundrive Track @ s/t
9 Cassidy,Ian Fixx Rouleurs @ s/t
10 Bracken,Sean Usher Irish RC @ s/t
11 Andrew,Maguire Wexford Wheelers @ s/t
12 Casserly,David Lakeside Wheelers @ s/t
13 Sinnott,Seamus Wexford Wheelers @ s/t
14 Halligan,David Comeragh @ s/t
15 Keogh,Andrew Lucan Cycling Road Cl @ s/t
16 Purcell,Cathal Carrick Wheelers @ s/t
17 Handley,Ciaran McNally Swords @ s/t
18 Kyle,David North Tipperary Wheel @ s/t
19 Demoussis,Jean-Charl Cork County CC @ s/t
20 O'Donoghue,Shane Waterford Racing @20"
21 Smith,Paul Waterford Racing @ s/t
22 McNally,Gerard Bann Valley @ s/t
23 Barry,Stephen Orwell Wheelers @ s/t
24 Ferris,Darragh Wexford Wheelers @ s/t
25 Barnes,Tony SERC @ s/t
26 Frehill,Gary Marble City Cyclers @ s/t
27 Ferrari,Colm UCD @ s/t
28 Gilmore,Sam Bray Wheelers CC @ s/t
29 McGurram,Finbar McNally Swords @ s/t
30 Cullen,Liam Barrow Wheelers @ s/t
31 Sherry,Raymond Dublin University CC @ s/t
32 Holland,Mark Orwell Wheelers @ s/t
33 O'Crualaoich,Conchub Wexford Wheelers @ s/t
34 Byrne,Ryan Slaney CC @ s/t
35 Donnelly,Mark Dublin University CC @ s/t
36 Fuller,Shane Midleton CTC @ s/t
37 Harrington,Marcus Wexford Wheelers @ s/t
38 McCaffrey,Patsy Rossbury Racing @ s/t
39 Greally,Adam St. Tiernans @ s/t
40 Byrne,Gerry Barrow Wheelers @ s/t
41 Short,Ronan SERC @ s/t
42 McGreehan,Nathan Cuchulainn CC @ s/t
43 Norton,Paul Strata Velo @ s/t
44 O'Reilly,John Waterford Racing @ s/t
45 O'Flaherty,Phil McNally Swords @ s/t
46 Howell,David Comeragh @ s/t
47 Bolger,Paul Slaney CC @ s/t
48 Wall,Michael McNally Swords @ s/t
49 Pyke,Gavin Carrick Wheelers @ s/t
50 McCormack,William U/A @ s/t
51 Dunne,Gerard Navan Road Club @ s/t
52 Doherty,Paul McNally Swords @ s/t
53 Motherway,Ian Waterford Racing @ s/t
54 Geoghan,Michelle Napolean Games @ s/t
55 Davitt,Darren Gorey CC @ s/t
56 English,Bernard Orwell Wheelers @ s/t
57 Keneally,Donal Comeragh @ s/t
58 Cooney,Dermot Dublin University CC @ s/t
59 Guilmet,Erwan Cork County CC @ s/t
60 Quinn,James St. Tiernans @ s/t
61 Farrell,Robert Lucan Cycling Road Cl @ s/t
62 Kavanagh,Diarmuid Bray Wheelers CC @ s/t
63 Bartels,Constantin St. Tiernans @ s/t
64 O'Reilly,Adam TC Racing @ s/t
65 Harrington,Paul Dolmen CC @ s/t
66 Lawless,Brendan Orwell Wheelers @ s/t
67 Delaney,Jack Ballymore CC @ s/t
68 Casey,Edward Killorglin CC @ s/t
69 Bryan,Stephen Lucan Cycling Road Cl @ s/t
70 Reilly,Emmett TC Racing @ s/t
71 McGettigan,John St. Tiernans @ s/t
72 Reilly,Trevor TC Racing @33"
73 Busher,Jamie Orwell Wheelers @01'12"
74 Ennett,Brian Comeragh @03'05"
75 Power,Hugh Aquablue @04'49"
76 Boyd,Daragh Orwell Wheelers @05'42"
77 O'Brien,Thomas Sundrive Track @06'40"
78 Mullin,David Sundrive Track @ s/t
79 O'Halloran,Michelle Lakeside Wheelers @08'30"
80 Kearney,Luke SERC @08'42"
81 Young,Reece Slaney CC @14'09"
82 Stafford,Michael Wexford Wheelers @14'13"
83 kelly,Joseph Naas CC @15'13"
Final General Classification
1 McDunphy,Conn YJ Lucan Cycling Ro 5h37'04"
2 Kearney,Aaron YJ Carrick Wheelers @05"
3 Purcell,Cathal YJ Carrick Wheelers @06"
4 Sinnott,Seamus YJ Wexford Wheelers @16"
5 Dunne,Gerard 3 Navan Road Club @58"
6 McCullagh,Matthew 3 Sundrive Track @01'16"
7 Pyke,Gavin 3 Carrick Wheelers @01'30"
8 Sutcliffe,Cian YJ Lucan Cycling Ro = s/t
9 Keneally,Donal 3 Comeragh @01'37"
10 Andrew,Maguire YJ Wexford Wheelers = s/t
11 Noone,Jamie 3 UCD @01'38"
12 Handley,Ciaran 3 McNally Swords @01'39"
13 Cooney,Dermot 3 Dublin Universit @01'40"
14 Cassidy,Ian 3 Fixx Rouleurs @01'43"
15 Delaney,Jerry 3 Laois CTC @01'44"
16 Kavanagh,Diarmuid 3 Bray Wheelers CC @01'48"
17 Greally,Adam 3 St. Tiernans @02'02"
18 Kyle,David 3 North Tipperary = s/t
19 McCormack,William 3 U/A @02'03"
20 Ferrari,Colm 3 UCD @02'04"
21 Lawless,Brendan 3 Orwell Wheelers = s/t
22 O'Flaherty,Phil 3 McNally Swords @02'06"
23 McGettigan,John 3 St. Tiernans @02'07"
24 Quinn,James 3 St. Tiernans @02'12"
25 Barry,Stephen 3 Orwell Wheelers 02'14"
26 Sherry,Raymond 3 Dublin Universit @02'16"
27 McGreehan,Nathan 3 Cuchulainn CC @02'17"
28 Holland,Mark 3 Orwell Wheelers @02'18"
29 Casey,Edward 3 Killorglin CC = s/t
30 Byrne,Gerry 3 Barrow Wheelers @02'20"
31 Donnelly,Mark 3 Dublin Universit @02'21"
32 Norton,Paul 3 Strata Velo @02'22"
33 McCaffrey,Patsy 3 Rossbury Racing @02'23"
34 Fuller,Shane 3 Midleton CTC = s/t
35 Harrington,Marcus YJ Wexford Wheelers = s/t
36 O'Reilly,Adam YJ TC Racing @02'24"
37 Halligan,David 3 Comeragh @02'25"
38 Bryan,Stephen YJ Lucan Cycling Ro @02'26"
39 Bolger,Paul 3 Slaney CC @02'27"
40 Bartels,Constantin 3 St. Tiernans @02'30"
41 Frehill,Gary 3 Marble City Cycl @02'31"
42 Wall,Michael 3 McNally Swords @02'32"
43 Howell,David 3 Comeragh @02'36"
44 Smith,Paul 3 Waterford Racing @02'41"
45 Motherway,Ian 3 Waterford Racing @02'42"
46 Keogh,Andrew 3 Lucan Cycling Ro @02'43"
47 Casserly,David 3 Lakeside Wheeler = s/t
48 Doherty,Paul 3 McNally Swords = s/t
49 English,Bernard 3 Orwell Wheelers @02'44"
50 O'Reilly,John 3 Waterford Racing @02'48"
51 Bracken,Sean 3 Usher Irish RC @02'53"
52 Gilmore,Sam YJ Bray Wheelers CC @03'02"
53 Guilmet,Erwan 3 Cork County CC @03'05"
54 Barnes,Tony 3 SERC @03'15"
55 Busher,Jamie 3 Orwell Wheelers = s/t
56 Short,Ronan 3 SERC @03'30"
57 Byrne,Ryan YJ Slaney CC @03'49"
58 Farrell,Robert 3 Lucan Cycling Ro @04'32"
59 Geoghan,Michelle 3 Napolean Games @04'40"
60 Ennett,Brian YJ Comeragh @05'44"
61 Power,Hugh 3 Aquablue @06'45"
62 Ferris,Darragh YJ Wexford Wheelers @08'10"
63 O'Brien,Thomas 3 Sundrive Track @08'18"
64 Kearney,Luke YJ SERC @11'04"
65 Young,Reece YJ Slaney CC @15'54"
66 kelly,Joseph 3 Naas CC @17'40"
67 Moore,Sean YJ Barrow Wheelers @18'09"
68 Demoussis,Jean-Charl 3 Cork County CC @19'01"
69 Boyne,David YJ Lakeside Wheeler @19'12"
70 Delaney,Jack YJ Ballymore CC @19'44"
71 Cullen,Liam 3 Barrow Wheelers @19'57"
72 Reilly,Emmett 3 TC Racing @20'21"
73 Harrington,Paul 3 Dolmen CC @20'32"
74 O'Donoghue,Shane 3 Waterford Racing @22'19"
75 Davitt,Darren 3 Gorey CC @23'04"
76 McNally,Gerard 3 Bann Valley @26'50"
77 Mullin,David 3 Sundrive Track @30'01"
78 McGurram,Finbar 3 McNally Swords @31'38"
79 O'Crualaoich,Conchub 3 Wexford Wheelers @32'02"
80 Boyd,Daragh 3 Orwell Wheelers @32'18"
81 Reilly,Trevor 3 TC Racing @33'05"
82 Stafford,Michael 3 Wexford Wheelers @34'35"
83 O'Halloran,Michelle 3 Lakeside Wheeler @36'36"
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