Stephen Halpin has scored his first win in his new Metaltek Scott colours, taking a sprint from the breakaway that settled the Ras Naomh Finan in Clonard, Co Meath, today, Saturday.
He said he almost messed up the sprint and had to kick a second time after misjudging the distance to the line.
“I’m short sighted and I didn’t have glasses on so I started sprinting with around 500 metres to go,” he told stickybottle.
“Then when I realised how far the finish was still up the road I had to ease back and then go again. Neil Delahaye pulled up alongside me and we were sprinting side by side but I managed to get ahead and win it.”
Halpin said he was delighted to score a win so early in the season, particularly after virtually all of the past two seasons had been ruined for him by illness and injury.
“It’s definitely great to have won and hopefully that will only be the first of many. The first race of the year last week (at the Cycleways Cup in Navan) was a bit of a shock to the system. But the training has been going well and I’ve been feeling better every day. So hopefully everything is in place for a good season ahead.”
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He will continue racing in Ireland in coming weeks to ease himself back into competition after such a long lay off and will ride his first races in the UK from early April.
The Dubliner was today part of the A1 group that gave away a small handicap to the A2s in the main event. With the scratch group disorganised at the start, they failed to make any headway for a good while, only catching the limit men around the halfway point as the race turned at Kilbeggan to head back the road into the finish.
Shortly after the turn Halpin attacked and took out a gap on the field of around ten seconds. He was then joined by Delahaye and shortly after that by three other riders.
“We only ever had a lead of around 40 seconds or so, so we had to keep it going right to the finish,” he said.
In the end, while Delahaye had pushed Halpin when the sprint opened, he faded and could only manage fourth. It was Garda CC’s Enda Connolly who took second, with Michael Brady (Westport) third and Chris Reilly of Bohermeen in fifth, the last of the breakaway men.
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Lakeside’s Damian Shaw made a last ditch effort to get across to the breakaway but came up short, though he did take sixth place.
In the A3 race UCD’s Ian Richardson stormed in alone to hold off the chasing peloton for a great win. He was closely followed by Liam Blanchfield (Bray) in second and Mark Nugent (Waterford) in third, both of whom came in just ahead of the bunch sprint won by veteran John Priest (Stagg Lucan).
The A4 race came down to a bunch sprint, with Emmet Ronan (Barrow Wheelers) taking it ahead of Hugh Davis (Usher IRC) and Aidan McNamara (Tullamore).
The Clonard RC races attracted a massive field, with 300 riders turning out to contest the three events down for decision.
Main Race A1&A2
- Stephen Halpin (Metaltek Scott)
- Enda Connolly (Garda CC)
- Michael Brady (Westport)
- Neil Delahaye (DID Dunboyne)
- Chris Reilly (Bohermeen)
- Damian Shaw (Lakeside)
Unplaced second cats
- Con Colis (UCD)
- Colm Bracken (Murphy Surveyors)
- Javan Nulty (DID) – who also won the KOH
A3 Race
- Ian Richardson (UCD)
- Liam Blanchfield (Bray)
- Mark Nugent (Waterford)
- John Priest (Stagg Lucan)
- Basil Freeman (Eire Og)
- Shane O’Donoghue (Waterford)
Junior: Craig Arrigan (Dundrum Town Centre/Orwell)
Vet: Eddie Lynch Dundrum Town Centre/Orwell)
Woman: Melanie Spath (Cycleways)
KOH: John Priest (Lucan)
A4 Race
- Emmett Ronan (Barrow Wheelers)
- Hugh Davis (Usher IRC)
- Aidan McNamara (Tullamore)
- Gavin Dodd (Dundrum town Centre/Orwell)
- David Dargle (Stamullen)
- Colm McGaivey (Epic)
KOH: Jim O’Rourke (Western Lakes)
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