Eurocycles duo Murphy and Duncan storm away to wrap up McCann Cup

Connor Murphy leads Fraser Duncan in the winning escape (Photo: Marian Lamb, Cycling Ulster)

Eurocycles’ Connor Murphy and Fraser Duncan simply overpowered the opposition at the McCann Cup in Seskinore near Omagh yesterday, Sunday, getting clear on their own in the main event and blasting home to score an impressive 1-2.

Both were part of the A1 group that started three minutes behind the A2 limit bunch in the combined race, with the chasers only getting on terms on the sixth of seven laps of the 9.5 mile course.

Even when the A1s did catch those ahead of them, it was only a select group that made the juncture.

Of that group, Murphy and Duncan were clearly the strong men, making their way through the A2 bunch and attacking them in what would prove to be the race winning move.

Behind them an organised chase group emerged comprising riders such as: Sean McFadden (Errigal CC), Jason Henry (U/A), Mark Buchannan (North Pole CC), Shaun Stewart (Four Masters), Paul Kane (Northern) and Tony Boyle (Slane Cycles).

However, while this group worked well and made a very good effort to get back on terms with the leaders, Murphy and Duncan were too strong. They powered their way into the finish where Murphy, probably the stronger of the two, took a clear win.

In the group behind it was Buchannan who rounded off the podium, taking the third place slot ahead of Stewart.

In the separate A3 race, which was six laps of the same course as the A1/A2 race, a large group of almost twenty riders got away in the main escape of the day, which splintered under pressure late on before a large regrouping.

However, local rider Stevie McKenna wasn’t hanging around to be caught and as the lead group fractured he took the initiative to get away and take a very popular win on a day when his Omagh Wheelers was the promoting club.

Chris Richardson (Castlereagh CC) was another rider who went clear of the chasing group and he hung on for a strong second place while the rest of the large group behind sprinted it out for the minor placings. Roe Valley’s Kyle Cromie was quickest in the charge to the line to take third place.

The A4 race was full of attacking but in the end came down to a bunch sprint after four laps of racing. It was West Down Wheeler Ian Walker who grabbed the sprint win ahead of Tommy Rafferty (Slane Cycles) and Paul Coyle (Strabane/Lifford) in third.

In the two events on earlier in the day in the five-event programme, Noel Boyce of North Down took the Masters race in a bunch sprint while Hannah Francis (Bikeworks) took the women’s race in the same fashion.

See a full set of photos below the results.