Eddie Dunbar beats elites for Cork County Champs gold; report and results for all races

Eddie Dunbar has taken another great win against the elite riders, the second-year junior claiming the Cork county road crown last night (Photo: Brendan Slattery)

By Brian Canty

Eddie Dunbar continued his superb form in advance of the upcoming European Road Race Championships in Switzerland at the end of the month with another swashbuckling display at the Cork County Road Race Championships in Fermoy, Co Cork, last night.

The O'Leary's Stone Kanturk rider broke away by himself on the second of the six 6km laps and at the finish had almost one minute on two chasers.

They were his teammate Dylan O'Brien, who was second at the Leahy Cup in Cobh at the weekend, while Eddie Barry (Fitscience-Liquidworx) was third over the line.

O'Brien and Barry had escaped the clutches of the 60-rider field on a perfect night for racing and never had more than a handful of seconds on the bunch behind.

They rode honestly - keen to stay away to contest silver and bronze - but knowing they'd never catch the flying Dunbar who is also in the middle of his Leaving Cert exams at present.

The race was a massed start, with A1s, A2s, A3s and juniors all starting together.

The A4 race was a separate event and Graham Prendergast from Nenagh CC took the honours in a bunch sprint after five laps from Seamus Finn (Galtee Wheelers) and Anthony Kenneally (Youghal CC).

The U16 race was won by rising star Dion McCarthy who beat Ronan Tuomey (Unattached) in a sprint to the line after four laps, while O'Leary's Stone Kanturk rider Dean Bradley-Young was third.

Tome Dore gave the O'Leary's Stone Kanturk club their second of four wins on the night with victory in the U14 race from Jack McCarthy - a brother of Dion. Brian McCarthy from Kilmallock CC was third.

Tom Moriarty from O'Leary's Stone Kanturk CC gave them their hat-trick of first places with a fine win in the U12 race from the Galtee Wheelers siblings, Fionn and Orla Desmond.