John Heverin leads the Newry Three Day into the final stage thanks to his win in today's stage 3 TT. But the battle looks set to be intense during tomorrow's decider (Photo: Marian Lamb - Cycling Ulster)
By Brian Canty
John Heverin holds an eight second advantage over Derek Cunningham going into the final stage of the Newry Three Day tomorrow, Sunday.
The TVR rider is leading courtesy of winning this evening’s third stage, a six-kilometre test against the clock.
He set a fine time of 7:57, with Cunningham of Bikeworx Celbridge clocking 8:05 and James Ambrose (North Down CC) next a further second back.
It promises to be a cracking final stage as the top 10 are separated by just 33 seconds while in the race for the king of the mountains jersey and the green points jersey the battle is no less intense.
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Jake Gray's excellent season continues in Newry; the junior rider taking and losing yellow but still in contention in all competitions and leading the climbers' and young riders' classification (Photo: David McVeighn - The Belgian Project)
Jake Gray (NRPT-Magnet.ie) leads Cameron McIntyre (Banbridge CC) by six points in climbers' classification.
In the race for green, Lindsay Watson (TVR) is two points clear of Derek Finnegan (Keevan CC), who is one point ahead of junior Gray.
And tomorrow’s final showdown is going to be a difficult one as there are three sprint primes and three climbs to contend with.
But Heverin is the man to beat at the head of the general classification.
The men from promoting club Newry Wheelers have ridden well so far and are definitely in the mix to strike for final yellow (Photo: Marian Lamb)
He’s played it very well so far and after finishing in the bunch in the same time as the winner in last night’s circuit race stage 1; won by Mark McKinley of Newry Wheelers.
He moved up to 10th overall this afternoon on stage 2 following his fourth-place finish.
On that second stage, 11 riders gained 17 precious seconds on the main bunch, with many of the main men in that selection.
It was a 110-kilometre brute of a stage with two sprints followed by two climbs in the Mourne mountains.
Gary Crory of VC Glendale shows his delight and winning today's stage 2 road race, coming in ahead of Gray who took the yellow jersey for the TT later in the day (Photo: David McVeigh - The Belgian Project)
The early break consisted of Derek Finnegan (Keevan CC), Matthew Breenan (Ballymena), Kevin Lynch (Newry Wheelers) and Colm Quinn (Cuchulainn CC).
That quartet built a lead of 1.30 on the bunch behind but on the last of the four laps Newry’s Des Woods, Lindsay Watson (TVR) and James Ambrose (North Down CC) attacked the bunch and made it across to the four leaders.
Hitting the first climb at Reed Hall, the seven riders held the bunch at 30 seconds with Watson taking the prime.
The action really kicked off on the final climb when Gary Crory (Glendale VC), Jake Gray (NRPT-Magnet.ie), Derek Cunningham (Bikeworx Celbridge), Cathal Smyth (Phoenix CC) and Cameron McIntyre (Banbridge CC) used their climbing abilities to jump across to the break.
McKinley celebrates winning the opening stage on Friday evening and the first yellow jersey of the race (Photo: Marian Lamb - Cycling Ulster)
On the run-in this group of 12 worked well to hold off the remainder of the bunch.
And local man Crory and timed his sprint to perfection to take the win ahead of rising junior star Gray with another junior, McIntyre in 3rd.
The result moved Gray into yellow before this afternoon's stage 3 TT. But because he went 16 seconds slower than Heverin he slipped back to third overall at 14 seconds.
However, he leads the climbers' classification and young rider classification and will definitely fancy his chances tomorrow, so write him off at your peril.
The Newry men ride on the front of the bunch during today's stage 2 in defence of Mark McKinley's yellow jersey (Photo: David McVeigh - The Belgian Project)
Another man definitely worth keeping an eye on is last night’s stage 1 winner, McKinley.
The Newry Wheelers man won a bunch gallop on a perfect night for racing with Stamullen M Donnelly veteran Craig Sweetman second and Gray (NRPT-Magnet.ie) third.
McKinley is eighth at 28 seconds and with teammates Des Woods and Andrew Bye both inside the top 10 you can bet your last Euro on them trying to really break the race tomorrow.
It sets things up very nicely indeed.
June 3rd-5th: Newry Three Day
Friday, June 3rd: Stage 1 - 56km
1 Mark McKinley Newry Wheelers 1:17:16
2 Craig Sweetman Stamullen M Donnelly RC @s/t
3 Jake Gray NRPT-Magnet.ie @s/t
4 Gavin Magowan Dromara CC @s/t
5 Lindsay Watson TVR @s/t
6 David McKnight TVR @s/t
7 Brendan Doherty VC Glendale @s/t
8 Stephen Hutchinson CCT @s/t
9 Gary Scott Island Wheelers @s/t
10 Derek Finnegan Keevan CC @s/t
General Classification after Stage 1
1 Mark McKinley Newry Wheelers 1:17:16
2 Craig Sweetman Stamullen M Donnelly RC @4 s
3 Jake Gray NRPT-Magnet.ie @8 s
4 Gavin Magowan Dromara CC @@ 10s
5 Lindsay Watson TVR @@ s/t
6 David McKnight TVR @ s/t
7 Brendan Doherty VC Glendale @ s/t
8 Stephen Hutchinson CCT @ s/t
9 Gary Scott Island Wheelers @ s/t
10 Derek Finnegan Keevan CC @ s/t
Mountains Classification
1 Jake Gray NRPT-Magnet.ie 8
2 Cameron McIntyre Banbridge CC 5
3 Mark McKinley Newry Wheelers 3
Young Rider Classification
1 Jake Gray NRPT-Magnet.ie 1:17: 14s
2 Patrick Fotheringham Halesown ATCC @2s
3 Cameron McIntyre Banbridge CC @2s
Points Classification
1 Lindsay Watson TVR 12
2 Mark McKinley Newry Wheelers 6
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3 Shaun Carey NDCC 6
Sat, June 4th: Stage 2 - 103km
1 Gary Crory VC Glendale 2:34:55
2 Jake Gray NRPT-Magnet.ie @s/t
3 Cameron McIntyre Banbridge @s/t
4 John Heverin TVR @s/t
5 Derek Cunningham Bikeworx Celbridge @s/t
6 Cathal Smyth Phoenix CC @s/t
7 Aureliusz Klus Stamullen M Donnelly RC @s/t
8 Tomas McCabe Cuchulainn CC @s/t
9 Curtis Gilmore Team Madigan @s/t
10 Des Woods Newry Wheelers @s/t
General Classification after Stage 2
1 Jake Gray NRPT 3:52:09
2 Cathal Smyth Phoenix CC @2s
3 Cameron McIntyre Banbridge CC @ s/t
4 Aureliusz Klus Stamullen M Donnelly RC @ s/t
5 Derek Cunningham Bikeworx Celbridge @ s/t
6 Tomas McCabe Cuchulainn CC @ s/t
7 Andrew Bye Newry Wheelers C @ s/t
8 Gary Crory VC Glendale @ s/t
9 Des Woods,Des Newry Wheelers @ s/t
10 John Heverin TVR @ s/t
Points Classification
1 Lindsay Watson TVR 12
2 Derek Finnegan Keevan CC 10
3 Jake Gray NRPT-Magnet.ie 9
Mountains Classification
1 Jake Gray NRPT-Magnet.ie 14
2 Cameron McIntyre Banbridge CC 8
3 Lindsay Watson TVR 6
Young Rider Classification
1 Jake Gray NRPT-Magnet.ie 3:52:09s
2 Cameron McIntyre Banbridge CC @2s
3 Robert Greer Apollo CT @6s
Sat, June 4th: Stage 3 - 6km TT
1 John Heverin TVR 7:57:08s
2 Derek Cunningham Bikeworx Celbridge @ 8.82s
3 James Ambrose NDCC @ 9.41s
4 David McIntyre Maryland Wheelers @ 15.03s
5 Jake Gray NRPT-Magnet.ie @ 16:49
6 Derek Finnegan Keevan CC@ 16.60
7 Cameron McIntyre Banbridge CC @ 17.36
8 Des Woods Newry Wheelers @ 18.36
9 Lindsay Watson TVR @ 18.67
10 Andrew Bye Newry Wheelers @ 18.76
General Classification after stage 3
1 John Heverin TVR 4:00:08
2 Derek Cunningham Bikeworx Celbridge @ 8 s
3 Jake Gray NRPT-Magnet.ie @ 14s
4 Cameron McIntyre Banbridge CC @ 17s
5 Des Woods Newry Wheelers @ 18s
6 Andrew Bye Newry Wheelers @ s/t
7 Cathal Smyth Phoenix CC @ 26s
8 Mark McKinley Newry Wheelers @ 28s
9 David McIntyre Maryland Wheelers @ 32s
10 Gary Crory VC Glendale @ 33s
Points Classification
1 Lindsay Watson TVR 12
2 Derek Finnegan Bikeworx Celbridge 10
3 Jake Gray NRPT-Magnet.ie 9
Mountains Classification
1 Jake Gray NRPT-Magnet.ie 14
2 Cameron McIntyre Banbridge CC 8
3 Lindsay Watson TVR 6
Young Rider Classification
1 Jake Gray NRPT-Magnet.ie 4:00:22
2 Cameron McIntyre Banbridge CC @ 3s
3 Robert Greer @ 28s
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