Dion McCarthy, far right, battling for supremacy in the last surge to the line on the 'East Clare' stage 3 of the Junior Tour of Ireland. He was beaten French rider Nathan Pernot, who was taking his second win in two days in the colours of the Irish squad NRPT-Magnet.ie (Photo with thanks to Tommy Heaney)
By Brian Canty
Nathan Pernot has made it two stage wins in two days at the Scott Bicycles Junior Tour of Ireland after getting the verdict in the bunch sprint that decided today’s 97-kilometre third leg from Mountshannon to Whitegate in Co Clare.
The Frenchman, riding for the domestic NRPT-Magnet.ie team got the better of promising first year junior Dion McCarthy of Munster-Tarrant Skoda, with American Ian Keogh of the Hot Tubes squad rounding out the podium.
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The latter’s teammate, Gage Hecht, still holds a 13-second advantage overall from Corkman Simon Tuomey of the Irish national team with Jack Maddux, also of Hot Tubes, on the same time 3rd overall.
It was surprising that today’s stage came down to a bunch sprint as it had been billed as quite a lumpy, testing leg.
However, with the queen stage set for tomorrow, riders could well have been holding back for that.
Still, it did not stop attacks from the gun, though the main move of the day involved a flying Robert O'Leary (Cork Giant) and two more from Wales and North California.
That trio stayed out front for around 60 kilometres but was never likely to contest the stage win, with Hot Tubes keeping a close watch on things behind.
O'Leary dropped the two with him and pressed on alone before he was caught but Darragh O'Mahony (Irish National team) had a go, underlining the ambition of the home-based men.
He hung out there for around 25km and never held more than 30 seconds before being reabsorbed. But it was a gutsy effort nonetheless from the recently-crowned Munster road race champion.
The sprint that decided the stage was very messy, with some riders coming to grief on the approach.
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Irish teammates Marc Heaney and Jake Gray both got up to contest it but had to settle for 6th and 7th respectively.
Tomorrow’s stage is one where fireworks can be expected as it’s a leg-breaker. And the combined fatigue of three days in the saddle already completed should see big splits.
The stage starts in Ennis again and the finish is in Lisdoonvarna, but not before the riders head up along the ‘Wild Atlantic Way’ for at least 60 of the 113 kilometres.
The forecast is predicting strong easterly breezes so that could mean riders getting buffeted from the left for half the day.
Heading into the teeth of the wind early on from Ennis, the riders crest the cat 3 climb at Inch and the cat 2 of the Hand.
But the fun will really start when they swing north up along the coast via Miltown Malbay, Quilty, Spanish Point, Lahinch and over the cat 2 climb at the Cliffs of Moher and the cat 3 at Doolin.
A crosswind for that coastal section will wreak havoc and if that wasn’t bad enough there’s the cat 1 climb of the Corkscrew Hill to contend with at less than 10 kilometres to go.
Anyone hoping to win the race will need to exert themselves on this climb and indeed, this stage.
For full results from stage 3, click here.
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