Colm Cassidy takes the opening stage in awful conditions at the Ballinrobe Two Day (Photo: www.jimmymcelroy.com – follow Jimmy on Facebook and Twitter)
By Brian Canty
Colm Cassidy has seized control of the Ballinrobe Two-Day after winning the first road stage in tough conditions.
The Aquablue man crossed the line six seconds ahead of a three-man chase group led in by the evergreen Des Woods (Newry Wheelers), with Mark Perry (All Terrain Cycles) rounding out the podium.
Shane Scully (Nenagh CC) was the other man in that chase.
Following those came a 20-man group a further 44 seconds back.
It was a mark of how tough the day was that the 20-man group was all that remained of the peloton.
Cassidy, a former winner in Ballinrobe while riding for UCD CC, came into the race in superb form having won the opening stage of the Suir Valley Three-Day last weekend.
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And he maintained his good run with a thoroughly deserved and hard-fought victory today.
The race was very well-controlled by two of the biggest teams, Aquablue and iTap.
But strangely no meaningful break managed to escape despite five testing climbs in brutally wet and windy conditions.
It was only after the fifth and final climb that the main move of the day formed, despite some strong attacks prior to that by Mike Storan (Liquidworx Fitscience) and Shane Scully (Nenagh CC).
A three-man group went clear with around 10 kilometres to go as the race went through Cong and in there were the aforementioned Scully, Woods and Perry.
Sensing the danger, Cassidy screamed across to them on his own and they quickly got a gap of around 20 seconds.
Cassidy was clearly not keen to stay with his fellow escapees and risk bringing it to a sprint so he powered on to the finish solo, leaving the three others behind.
To their credit, that trio worked well but never clawed back Cassidy who had time to celebrate his latest win.
He will be the odds-on favourite to take victory in the time-trial on Sunday morning and carry the yellow jersey into the afternoon third and final stage.
And with a strong team behind him it would take a brave man to bet against him.
However, his teammate Sean Lacey crashed today so it remains to be seen how useful he can be to Cassidy.
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The Tralee man crossed the line over nine minutes back but in Anthony Walsh, Cassidy has a very capable team mate.
Stage 1 Result and General Classification
1 Colm , Cassidy Team Aquablue 2:41:26
2 Des , Woods Newry Wheelers CC 00:00:06
3 Mark , Perry All Terrain Cycles “
4 Shane , Scully Nenagh Cycling Club “
5 Bobby , Coleman Mego Racing Team 00:00:50
6 Sean , Yelverton Mego Racing Team “
7 Derek , Joyce Galway Bay CC “
8 Michael , Storan Liquidworx Fitscience “
9 Darragh , McCarter Donegal Bay Cycling Club “
10 Aaron , Parks CCT “
11 Paul , O’Reilly Fixx Rouleurs “
12 Gerard , Corcoran Westport Covey Wheelers Cycling Club “
13 Seán , O’Malley Western Lakes CC “
14 Daire , Feeley Team iTAP “
15 David , Nugent Seven Springs CC “
16 David , Walshe Castlebar Cycling Club “
17 David , Brody Team iTAP “
18 Paul , McCarter Donegal Bay Cycling Club “
19 Alan , Clogher TC Racing “
20 Kenneth , Kennedy Nenagh Cycling Club “
21 Vincent , Gleeson Mego Racing Team “
22 Anthony , Walsh Team Aquablue “
23 Fergal , May St. Tiernans Cycling Club “
24 Aichlinn , O Reilly Westport Covey Wheelers Cycling Club “
25 Michael , Walsh Castlebar Cycling Club 00:01:07
26 Aaron , O’Brien Mego Racing Team 00:01:37
27 Andrew , Bye Newry Wheelers CC 00:02:49
28 Darragh , Bailey Team iTAP 00:03:20
29 Karl , Benson Castlebar Cycling Club 00:03:37
30 Joseph , Mulleady Eire Og C.C. 00:03:55
31 Richard , Gribbons Seven Springs CC 00:04:59
32 Colm , Ferrari UCD Cycling Club 00:08:50
33 Sean , Moore Barrow Wheelers “
34 Declan , Egan Cadence Cycling Performance 00:09:20
35 Jerry , McCarthy Tralee Manor West BC 00:09:36
36 Seán , Lacey Team Aquablue “
37 Declan , Shevlin Limerick Cycling Club “
38 Marc , Houlihan MODA – Kingdom Endurance Sports “
39 Adam , O Reilly TC Racing “
40 Emmett , Reilly TC Racing “
41 Stephen , Murphy Team iTAP “
42 Valerio , Di Bacco Galway Bay CC “
43 Jonathan , Boyle TC Racing “
44 Peter , Kilgallen Ballina Cycling Club 00:15:11
45 Janis , Blinovs Western Lakes CC 00:19:21
46 Liam , Corcoran Castlebar Cycling Club “
47 Niall , Dwyer UCD Cycling Club 00:20:15
48 John , Gill Western Lakes CC 00:21:22
49 David , Guerin Clarina Wheelers “
50 David , Bourke Limerick Cycling Club “
51 David , Coleman Ballina Cycling Club 00:22:57
52 John , O Fitzpatrick CKR Cycling Club 00:24:57
53 Karl , Powderly Tuam Cycling Club 00:25:50
54 Cale , Coen Liquidworx Fitscience 00:26:26
55 Paul , Kennedy Newcastle West Cycling Club “
56 John , Higgins Ballaghaderreen CC 00:39:11
57 Colm , Dillon Limerick Cycling Club 00:41:05
58 Delia , Beddis Les Filles RT 00:42:34
59 David , Hanahoe Castlebar Cycling Club 00:47:42
60 Derek , Finnegan Keevan CC “
61 Niamh , Stephens UCD Cycling Club 00:59:18
Points Competition
1 Colm Cassidy Team Aquablue 16
2 Darragh Bailey Team iTAP 6
3 Des Woods Newry Wheelers CC 6
4 Bobby Coleman Mego Racing Team 4
5 Derek Finnegan Keevan CC 3
6 Mark Perry All Terrain Cycles 2
Climbers' Competition
1 Sean Yelverton Mego Racing Team 8
2 Colm Cassidy Team Aquablue 8
3 Seán O’Malley Western Lakes CC 7
4 Andrew Bye Newry Wheelers CC 6
5 Daire Feeley Team iTAP 6
6 Aaron O’Brien Mego Racing Team 4
7 Shane Scully Nenagh Cycling Club 4
8 Anthony Walsh Team Aquablue 3
9 Darragh Bailey Team iTAP 2
10 Paul McCarter Donegal Bay Cycling Club 1
A2 Classification
1 Bobby Coleman Mego Racing Team 2:42:16
2 David Walshe Castlebar Cycling Club 2:42:18
3 David Brody Team iTAP 2:42:18
4 Alan Clogher TC Racing 2:42:18
5 Vincent Gleeson Mego Racing Team 2:42:19
6 Fergal May St. Tiernans Cycling Club 2:42:19
7 Aaron O’Brien Mego Racing Team 2:43:03
8 Andrew Bye Newry Wheelers CC 2:44:15
9 Marc Houlihan MODA – Kingdom Endurance Sports 2:51:03
10 Valerio Di Bacco Galway Bay CC 2:51:04
11 Liam Corcoran Castlebar Cycling Club 3:00:48
12 Niall Dwyer UCD Cycling Club 3:01:41
13 John O Fitzpatrick CKR Cycling Club 3:06:23
14 Colm Dillon Limerick Cycling Club 3:22:31
A3 Classification
1 Aaron Parks CCT 2:42:16
2 Gerard Corcoran Westport Covey Wheelers Cycling Club 2:42:16
3 Kenneth Kennedy Nenagh Cycling Club 2:42:18
4 Aichlinn O Reilly Westport Covey Wheelers Cycling Club 2:42:19
5 Michael Walsh Castlebar Cycling Club 2:42:33
6 Joseph Mulleady Eire Og C.C. 2:45:21
7 Richard Gribbons Seven Springs CC 2:46:25
8 Colm Ferrari UCD Cycling Club 2:50:16
9 Jerry McCarthy Tralee Manor West BC 2:51:02
10 Declan Shevlin Limerick Cycling Club 2:51:03
11 Emmett Reilly TC Racing 2:51:03
12 Stephen Murphy Team iTAP 2:51:04
13 Jonathan Boyle TC Racing 2:51:04
14 Janis Blinovs Western Lakes CC 3:00:47
15 John Gill Western Lakes CC 3:02:48
16 David Guerin Clarina Wheelers 3:02:49
17 David Bourke Limerick Cycling Club 3:02:49
18 David Coleman Ballina Cycling Club 3:04:23
19 Karl Powderly Tuam Cycling Club 3:07:16
20 Cale Coen Liquidworx Fitscience 3:07:52
21 Paul Kennedy Newcastle West Cycling Club 3:07:53
22 John Higgins Ballaghaderreen CC 3:20:37
23 David Hanahoe Castlebar Cycling Club 3:29:08
24 Niamh Stephens UCD Cycling Club 3:40:44
Team Competition
1 Mego Racing Team 08:06:48
2 Team iTAP 08:09:18
3 Castlebar Cycling Club 08:09:52
4 Team Aquablue 08:14:44
5 TC Racing 08:24:20
6 Western Lakes CC 08:45:51
7 Limerick Cycling Club 09:16:21
8 UCD Cycling Club 09:32:41
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