Conor Prendergast first signalled his intent this season with a win in the Castlebar GP in Co Mayo one month ago. And since then the Galway Bay CC junior has pulled off other victories with his trademark approach; the solo attack.
While most of those moves up the road to win have been long-range - including 75km solo at the Galway Classic two weeks ago - he left it late today on the opening stage of the Kanturk Three Day.
Having made the very early breakaway in the 94km race, Prendergast tried to get clear of it several times through the stage, with fellow juniors Oisin Ferrity (Caldwell Cycles) and Liam O'Brien (Fermoy CC) also very aggressive. Those efforts came to nothing for most of the race.
However, with about 2km remaining Prendergast tried again. This time he got a gap and when he did he put his head down and made it all the way to the chequered flag. Just behind him, the breakaway men closed right up on him on the line; catching the 16-year-old but unable to pass him.
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He adds today's win to his Castlebar GP victory as well as his stage 1 win at the Gorey Three Day at Easter - where he held yellow twice before losing it on the final stage - and his Galway Classic victory. Prendergast has now won four races in the last five weeks; an impressive strike rate for the first year junior.
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On today's opening stage of the Kanturk Three Day - organised by O'Leary Stone Kanturk - Samuel Moloney, the Burren CC man who was 5th in the National Road Series race in Cong, Co Mayo, last week, took the sprint for 2nd place from Ferrity. Darragh McGee (Dungarvan CC) was 4th with Killian O'Brien (Orwell Wheelers) in 5th.
The remaining riders in the breakaway, and filling places 6th to 10th, were, in finishing order: John Hodge (Dungarvan CC), Cal Tutty (Dungarvan CC), O'Brien, James Delaney (Lucan CRC) and Willem O'Connor (JEGG-DJR Academy).
Eoghan Lattimore (Dungarvan CC) was next to finish; placing 11th at 4:17, with the remains of the peloton some 12 seconds behind him. However, as the general classification is being run on points this year, the time gaps matter for nothing.
Prendergast is in yellow going into Sunday morning's short and flat TT. That is followed by the afternoon stage 3, and the concluding stage 4 on Monday, both of which were flatter than today's opener.
The winning breakaway got clear today on the first lap, of three, in the 94km race. A long climb early on the circuit split the field and resulted in about 15 riders going clear. They were never seen again by the bunch and though the group was trimmed back a little, due to the pace and the relentless attacks through the stage, the 10 survivors always looked like they would go to the line.
