Conn McDunphy has returned from a very successful racing trip to the United States to win one of the most prestigious one-day races on the Irish calendar, the Shay Elliott Memorial. The Lucan CRC rider came up against a well-drilled and very strong All human-VeloRevolution team in the finale in Co Wicklow today but he simply had too much power up the final climb to win.
For McDunphy, who rode for EvoPro Racing last year, today's race was one he had wanted to win for a long time, saying it is often at the centre of conversations when road racing clubs look ahead to a new season, including his own Dublin club Lucan CRC.
And though he was very wary of Mark Dowling (All human-VeloRevolution) on the final climb, he won it well with a big final effort that carried him away from his nearest rivals; Gareth O'Neill (Team PB Performance) getting up to 2nd place just ahead of Dowling, who rounded out the podium.
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"A final climb like that is Mark's bread and butter and he is going very well," said McDunphy of Dowling. "When I attacked the second time (on the Shay Elliott climb) the gap I got… honestly I was quite surprised with it. And I've also never won a bike race on the top of a hill."
He added the Shay Elliott Memorial and the National Road Race Championships were the two races he had always wanted to win and he was delighted to claim one of those today.
"The Shay Elliott course is very close to home for me, they are training roads for me on a big training day," he said. "Most of the winter spins with Lucan CRC go up Sally Gap and up the Wicklow Gap. It's a big day if you go up the Elliott climb. I'm back racing with Lucan now and 'the Elliott' and the champs are two races we always talk about winning. If you win both of them, you know you've been a good bike rider."
Today's main event, run by Bray Wheelers, was held over the usual 24km circuit before the riders came off that course, after four laps, for the big finish up the Shay Elliott Climb. And while Dean Harvey, then of Spellman Dublin Port, won the race solo last year, this year's contest was closer-run.
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However, when McDunphy pulled the trigger for the final time with about 200-300m to go, he emerged the decisive winner.
The racing was very fast on the 24km circuit and though a drag of about 2km - into a slight crosswind - provided a springboard for attacks, any moves fired off the front were brought back. On the third lap, McDunphy put in a serious effort on that drag and committed to keeping it going all the way to the top.
That five-minute effort saw him pull a five-man group clear, though they were soon joined by chasers who bridged across to them after the leaders turned into the headwind. The lead group eventually swelled to about 15 riders and it was that group which rode together on the final lap.
In the lead group were: Conn McDunphy (Lucan CRC), Mark Dowling, Daire Feeley, Tim Walton (All human-VeloRevolution), Gareth O'Neill, John Buller (both PB Performance), Leo Doyle (ARBÖ headstart ON-Fahrrad), yesterday's Crotty Cup winner Aaron Wade (Equipo Cortizo), Jason Kenny, Liam Crowley (both UCD Cycling Club), Odhran Doogan (Caldwell Cycles), Luke Smith (Moynalty CC) and a couple of others.
McDunphy attacked again on the climb on the final passage of the circuit but the headwind section after that climb saw his effort neutralised. The leading group split but came back together as they raced towards the Shay Elliott climb up to the finish line.
On the final lap of the circuit, news that Kevin McCambridge (Trinity Racing) and Matteo Cigala (Dan Morrissey-Primór by Pissei) were in the process of bridging across to the lead group injected some urgency up front. However, in the end neither McCambridge nor Cigala made the juncture.
In the finale of the race, All human-VeloRevolution appeared to be backing renowned climber Dowling, with Walton riding on the front late into the contest and Rás Tailteann champion Feeley setting the pace up the climb. As the finish neared, McDunphy made an effort with about 600m to go, though Dowling was straight onto him.
Then with about 200-300 metres to the line, McDunphy went over the top of Dowling, with a big final effort to win it well from O’Neill and Dowling. Feeley was 4th, Doyle 5th and Wade placed 6th
