Conn McDunphy has wasted no time getting his 2025 road season underway as he is guesting with a Middle Eastern team and has ridden his first race, and taken his first win, of the new campaign.
McDunphy will ride for US-registered UCI Continental outfit, Team Skyline, this year but has decided to get into action early with a guest slot in the United Arab Emirates.
He rode the UAE Cycling Federation Race in Khorfakkan at the weekend; some 120km, over a 9.9 km per lap, and shortened from 132km due to the large gap McDunphy's breakaway gained on the rest of the field.
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Though he initially missed the move, which went away in the opening two laps, the Irish rider got across to it before the gap shot out.
When he was at the front with the group, the breakaway began to cooperate well and eventually put seven minutes into the bunch.
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The breakaway reached the finish, numbering five riders, and McDunphy claimed the sprint to take his first win of the campaign.
McDunphy rode the race as part of the Airwerks Team, with UAE-based Donegal man, and former Rás Tailteann rider, Sean McFadden putting him in touch with the team and helping him secure a place for the fist weeks of 2025.
McDunphy will ride the Al Salam championship race next Sunday which is a race that attracts some big riders racing 200km in the desert and winds. It was won by Luka Mezgec (Team Jayco AlUla) last year.
