Ben Delaney (Sundrive Track Team) ran out the winner of the National Omnium Championships in Dublin at the weekend when the final event in the competition – the points race – threw up fiercely competitive racing and no shortage of drama.
Conor Murnane (UCD Cycling Club) and Aaron Wade (Powerhouse Sport) were 1st and 2nd in the standings going into that concluding points race. They had proved the strongest riders in the first three events – the scratch, elimination and tempo races - with Murnane having a slight edge.
But when Murnane and Wade marked each other out of it in the points race as an elite Irish title was on the line, four riders got clear and the strongest of them swept all before them.
There was another twist in the final sprint to the line when two riders crashed and Sean Lenehan (Navan RC) saw his shot at being Irish elite champion go up in flames in touching distance of the line.
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The competition started with the scratch race, which Murnane won from Wade and Ian Donnelly (Orwell Wheelers). Eventual gold medal winner Delaney took 10th place.
Murnane also won the tempo race, again beating Wade. Ryan
Byrne (Spellman Dublin Port) was in 3rd place while Delaney was 4th and Lenehan
5th.
Wade was best in the elimination race, with Murnane in 2nd place and Donnelly 3rd. At that point the gold medal looked like a two-horse race between Wade and Murnane, though that was soon to change.
Murnane and Wade – both talented road riders – just had the upper hand going into that points race finale; Murnane leading on 118 points to Wade’s 116.
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There was then a gap back to the next best, who were
tightly packed. Byrne and Donnelly were equal 3rd going into the points race,
both on a tally of 98 points based on the first three events of four.
David O’Sullivan (Powerhouse Sport) was next, on 94 points, followed by Lenehan on 88. Delaney was in 7th place on 86 points, and looking like last man in that group of riders that were still within striking distance of the title.
In that points race, Murnane and Wade marked each other so closely they missed the key move of the day. Delaney, Lenehan and the Orwell duo of Dimitri Griffin and Fionn Sheridan all got clear, with Delaney leading solo for a period before the others caught him.
Those breakaway men went away early and set about opening a big gap on those behind; their advantage growing as Murnane and Wade continued to watch each other closely.
The four riders up front mopped up the points sprint after
sprint, leaving Murnane and Wade to fight each sprint lap for the single
remaining point on offer.
Sheridan dug deep to open the gap up front as his team mate was with him in the breakaway. He paid for those efforts when he lost his place in the leading group, leaving Delaney, Griffin and Lenehan at the front of the race.
Going into the last sprint, at the end of the race, there were double points on offer on the line – 10 for the winner rather than the usual five.
Delaney and Lenehan were so closely matched in points scored at that stage that the Irish title came down to that last sprint. Delaney was ahead and Lenehan had to win the final sprint to take the gold medal from him.
In the final twist of drama, Lenehan and Griffin got
ahead of Delaney approaching the sprint but then crashed. And that meant
Delaney scored points to remain on top, with Lenehan forced to settle for
silver and Murnane taking the bronze.
Men's Omnium Champs: Full Result
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