John Brady might be older than many of those he's competing against but he still hasn't lost the finishing kick that made him a star in the US with the 7-Eleven professional team (Photo Brendan Culleton)
By Brian Canty
John Brady rolled back the years today by winning a chaotic bunch sprint in the Mark Hayden Memorial, promoted by Carlow Cycling Club.
The Smartlamp man had too much speed for a sizeable field of 77 riders, though he was pushed very close by Shane Power (Waterford Racing Team) and David Farrell (Longford CC).
Brady was a class act in his day and clearly still has that finishing kick that won him many a race both as an amateur and a professional with the all-conquering 7-Eleven outfit in the US over two decades ago.
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He played his cards to perfection today and would have always been fancied if the race came down to a gallop.
However, at around the midpoint of the three-lap 72-kilometre event it looked like it was going to be one of the breakaway men who would take honours.
A 10-man escape held an advantage over the peloton that extended to over a minute and they did so for the guts of a full lap before being caught with around 24 kilometres to go.
That paved the way for the sprint, with Brady getting the verdict.
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Meanwhile in the A4 race, it was a great day for the Orwell Wheelers club as they notched a 1-2 through Freddie Stephens and Mark Holland.
Declan McCarthy of Southside Wheelers rounded out the podium in third.
They had one less lap to complete than the A2-A3 race, for a total distance of 48 kilometres.
It was a mostly flat circuit but there were two punchy climbs at Knocknagee and Barnhill, though they failed to break up the race significantly.
And so another bunch sprint ensued with Stephens emerging victorious. Some 41 riders in total who took to the start line.
Mark Hayden Memorial, Carlow
A2-A3 Race (72km)
- John Brady (Smartlamp)
- Shane Power (Waterford Racing Team)
- David Farrell (Longford CC)
- Joe Christian (Gorey CC)
- Paul Woods (Carlow CC) – also first A3
- Mark Quigley (Western Lakes CC)
- Niall Whelan (Laois CC)
- Cormac Daly (Tralee BC/Manor West Hotel)
- Unplaced A3 rider: Andrew Keogh (Lucan CC)
A4 Race (48km)
- Freddie Stephens (Orwell Wheelers CC)
- Mark Holland (Orwell Wheelers CC)
- Declan McCarthy (Southside Wheelers)
- Fergal Kennedy (Marble City cyclers)
- Ray Molyneaux (Navan CC)
- Gearóid Costello (GT Wheelers)
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