Taking his victory tally to double figures for the season Conor Hennebry has won Rás Cill Mocheallog in Co Limerick (Photo by Toby Watson, homepage photo by Sean Rowe)

Conor Hennebry takes win at Rás Cill Mocheallog

Conor Hennebry has taken his victory tally for the season to 10 by winning Rás Cill Mocheallog today in Co Limerick.

The Viner-Caremark-Pactimo man has now won two stage races overall, two stages within those races and six one-day contests.

He took his latest victory today just as he did the Collins Christle in Co Meath last weekend; attacking a breakaway and holding on for victory.

Today’s contest was action-packed from the start. A breakaway of about a dozen riders broke clear very early.

They put their heads down on the opening loop in the four-lap event. Indeed, such was the pressure up front that a number of riders were jettisoned from the escape as the gap opened.

With approximately 15km covered the move was down to eight men. And the gap back to the peloton would eventually grow to four minutes.

By the third lap another couple of riders had lost their place up front; six riders from the initially dozen now ploughing on towards the finish.

Hennebry waited until the climb, halfway around the circuit, on the last lap to make his move.

He pulled clear with a strong acceleration but didn’t have it all his own way. Those he had been with were in no mood to let him go without a fight.

As the gap grew to about 15 seconds the men behind combined. And with some hefty firepower present, the five chasers began to gain on the lone leader.

Among those five was Paul Kennedy of Newcastle West CC who had won two of the three races he rode last weekend.

In the chase group with him was national criterium champion and the winner in Mondello Park last Tuesday Dillon Corkery (Gerard-DHL).

Also present was the very strong trio of Carrick's Matt Sparrow, Dermot Radford from Tipperary Wheelers and Eoin O’Connell of Blarney CC.

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However, despite combining their efforts to peg back Hennebry and closing some of the gap to him, he just about held them off.

On the line the gap had come down to just a handful of seconds. But it proved enough for another win.

Kennedy was 2nd with Sparrow 3rd. Then came Corkery, Radford and O’Connell; in that order.

Best of those who were not in the escape was Sean Moore; the Gerard DHL man taking 7th from Hennebry’s team mate Sean Hahassey.

Conor Hennebry adds today’s win to the overall victories he scored earlier in the year inn Kerry Group Rás Mumhan and the Bogman Two Day. He also took a stage win in each of those races.

Furthermore, so far this year he has won Rás Naomh Finian, the John Drumm Cup, Donamon GP, Meath GP and last weekend’s Collins Christle.

The Cal McCarthy Cup, named after the promoting club's stalwart who sadly passed away last year, was won by Cahir O'Higgins.

O’Higgins went clear early in a long range attack with Enda Murray. They would never be seen by the bunch again.

And though international rower Shane O’Connell bridged across after about 50km, O’Higgins still had enough in the tank to win.

O’Higgins and Murray had been clear for most of the race by the time O'Connell caught them; the younger man adding more power to the breakaway.

The trio combined to stay away and at the finish O’Higgins saw off Murray (Burren CC) and O’Connell (Blarney CC) for victory.