The new 20mph default speed limits across parts of Wales may have forced the Junior Tour of Wales into changing its route - because the riders and team cars would be speeding - but that did not stop Conor Prendergast on Sunday morning's stage 3.
The Galway man, guesting with Cycling Leinster this weekend, put in a fine display out front on his own on the circuit race stage, at Pembrey Country Park.
He ploughed away out front, in wet and windy conditions, for five laps of the circuit. Though he came very close to a stage win, he was ultimately caught on the last lap.
However, that was a great ride from Prendergast, who had broken into the Irish team set-up this year after a string of top results only to suffer a freak training ride crash that put him out of action for a long time.
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Today's stage was won by Rory Gravelle of the Welsh national team, with a group of 22 all on the same time as the winner. Cal Tutty (E Tarrant & Sons Skoda Munster) was in that group, placing 19th, as was Patrick O'Sullivan (Cycling Leinster), who was 21st on the stage.
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Due to a split in the bunch there was then a time gap of eight seconds back to the biggest bunch, with Eoghan Lattimore (E Tarrant & Sons Skoda Munster) at the front of that group, 23rd on the stage.
Killian O'Brien of Cycling Leinster was best-placed of the Leinster or Munster team riders in the race starting this morning's stage, sitting in 4th some 21 seconds behind race leader Sebastian Grindley (Fensham Howes-MAS Design). He was in the group that lost eight seconds today.
The race continues with another circuit race this afternoon before the big final showdown on Tumble Mountain tomorrow.
Stage 3 Junior Tour of Wales
1 Rory Gravelle Wales 6 FJ2Wal 1:00:01
2 Elliot Rowe Scotland 5 J1
3 Harrison Dainty Fensham Howes - MAS Design 4 FJ2
4 Sebastian Grindley Fensham Howes - MAS Design 3 J1
5 James Kinrade Utmost-Mezzo IOM Junior Cycling 2 FJ3
6 Joel Hurt Prologue Racing Team 1 J2
7 Callum Evans Team Pau J2
8 Matthew Kent Tofauti Everyone Active FJ2
9 Oliver Gill Tofauti Everyone Active FJ2
10 Joseph Cosgrove Scotland J1
19 Cal Tutty E.Tarrant & Sons Skoda Munster J
21 Patrick O'Sullivan Cycling Leinster J
23 Eoghan Lattimore E.Tarrant & Sons Skoda Munster J 0:08
25 Willem O'Connor E.Tarrant & Sons Skoda Munster J
35 Rory Condon E.Tarrant & Sons Skoda Munster FJ
38 Michael Collins E.Tarrant & Sons Skoda Munster J
59 Killian O'Brien Cycling Leinster J
61 Matthew Walls Cycling Leinster FJ
73 Josh Callaly Cycling Leinster J
84 Conor Prendergast Cycling Leinster 1:25
87 David Harrington Cycling Leinster 1:02:39
