Fraser Duncan adds to huge season tally; beats Connor McConvey for North Down GP

Fraser Duncan's form is not waning; the Northern CC man today extending his winning run in what has become the season of his life so far.

The most prolific rider on the domestic scene to date this year, Fraser Duncan has demonstrated once again that his form is not waning by taking victory in the North Down GP today. It was his ninth win of the season.

With selection for the Commonwealth Games to be announced next week, Duncan beat off some of those hoping to make the team with Connor McConvey (Synergy Baku) in 2nd place and Ronan McLaughlin (Dig Deep Coaching) in 3rd.

With 10 laps of an eight mile circuit to be negotiated today, the A3 riders were give just one minute of a handicap over the A1-A2 scratch men.
And while that gap was inevitably closed down, the juncture was not made until the fourth lap.

However, that was to prove to the decisive circuit, not only bringing the race together and moving the action into the business end of the day but also seeing the race winning move to go clear.

It was just after the Springwell Road climbers’ prime that some of the danger men made their move never to be seen again.

In that move was eventual winner Duncan (Northern CC-Dave Kane) and McConvey as well as McLaughlin and the very much in-form Ali McAuley of Phoenix CC.

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With a lot of firepower in that leading quartet strengthening by a willingness to drive for home and though there was still life in the bunch back the road as the gap to the escapees grew and grew, the race for the win was over for anyone who missed the boat.

A good chase group did eventually form behind from the aggression in the bunch. It featured Matty Blayney (North Down), Mike Millar (Phoenix CC) and Dave Hamilton (Curran Racing).

However, the breakaway men were gone for the day and continued to work very well to increase their lead despite the chase group knuckling down to the task at hand.

At the finish on Orlock Hill it was Duncan who had too much for McConvey, taking victory by two seconds from the Belfast man, with McLaughlin a further six seconds adrift and McAuley crossing the line for fourth place 11 seconds later.

Behind them, the three man chase group had been reduced to just two riders with Mike Millar taking 5th place some 1:56 after Duncan had sealed yet another win. Dave Hamilton was in sixth on the same time as Millar.