Conor Prendergast announced his form with a recent win at the Castlebar GP and today the young Galway Bay CC rider really underlined his quality with a brilliant win on the opening stage of the Gorey Three Day.
Prendergast was among a breakaway that dominated the second half of the race - one animated in large part by Newry Wheelers and Leinster Cycling. And when he sense the front group was flagging a little as the finish approached, Prendergast pulled the trigger and never looked back.
Those he was with - Drew and Mark McKinley of Newry Wheelers, Matthew Hoare of Cycling Leinster - were left behind as the Galway man put his head down and rode for the line once he established the first seconds of his winning gap.
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It was Drew McKinley - the winner of the Killinchy GP last weekend after returning from a major crash late last year - who made the initial move with Hoare and they had 23 seconds as they began the final lap of the circuit in Gorey. While Killian O'Brien of Cycling Leinster made an effort to get across to them, he was not successful.
However, Prendergast then made his move, blasting across the gap to the two leaders, followed by Mark McKinley, who also made the juncture to create a four-man leading group, two of them Newry men. While the gap back to the bunch was a modest one for a long time - between 10 and 20 seconds - that would change.
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Prendergast made his move from the front group with just over 5km to go and he almost immediately pulled out a 10-second gap. As he rode alone out front, that extended a little more while the chasers were also continuing to put time in the bunch.
In the end, Prendergast emerged as a comfortable winner, taking the victory by 21 seconds, with Mark McKinley taking 2nd place from Hoare; Drew McKinley unfortunately being reabsorbed by the bunch late in the stage.
Peter Kirwan of Lucan CRC, who was very aggressive during the stage and spent a prolonged period in an earlier breakaway, finished in 4th place at 36 seconds, just ahead of the front of the bunch, which fragmented on the drag to the finish.
Andrew Kelly (Cycling Leinster) was 5th at 38 seconds, with Daniel Scott (Inspired Cycling) 6th at 41 seconds. Then came a trio of riders, at 42 seconds; James O'Shea (Comeragh CC), Josh Callaly (Cycling Leinster) and Aureliusz Klus (Stamullen RC). Curtis Neill (Team Caldwell Cycles) rounded out the top 10 at 43 seconds.
In the women's race Caoimhe O'Brien (Un-Attached Leinster) was best, finishing 27th and just three seconds up on UK rider Emma Jeffers (Unattached) and Orla Walsh (UCD Cycling Club) with Aoife O'Brien (Spellman-Dublin Port) another one second back.
The climbers' jersey in the women's race is held by Jeffers going into tomorrow's split stage, with Curtis Neill holding the climbers' jersey in the men's race,
More to come.
April 8th to 10th | Gorey Three Day
Sat, April 8th, Stage 1 | Gorey-Gorey 98.7km
- Conor Prendergast Galway Bay CC 02:25:54 41.1 kph
- Mark Mc Kinley Newry Wheelers CC +0:21
- Matthew Hoare Cycling Leinster +0:21
- Peter Kirwan Lucan Cycling Road Club +0:36
- Andrew Kelly Cycling Leinster +0:38
- Daniel Scott Inspired Cycling +0:41
- James O Shea Comeragh CC +0:42
- Josh Callaly Cycling Leinster +0:42
- Aureliusz Klus Stamullen RC +0:42
- Curtis Neill Team Caldwell Cycles +0:43
- Craig Sweetman Stamullen RC +0:43
- David Casserly Midlands Race Team +0:43
- Jonathan Taylor Carn Wheelers +0:43
- Killian O Brien Cycling Leinster +0:44
- Mikey Flaherty Team Dan Morrissey – Primor by Pissei +0:44
- John Holland Velo Club Balrothery +0:44
- John Sheridan St Tiernans Cycling Club +0:45
- Eamonn Potter Dublin Wheelers +0:46
- Sean Lundy Bray Wheelers +0:46
- Jake Bickerdike Athy Wheelers Cycling Club +0:46
