Stephen Shanahan had to settle for 3rd behind Eddie Dunbar and Dylan O'Brien today, but feels he's building form towards the Junior Tour. O'Brien is also on the right track and looking forward to the busy period ahead on the junior scene.
Brian Canty
Dylan O’Brien and Stephen Shanahan could both only shake their heads and smile when they heard Eddie Dunbar won by a margin of almost seven minutes in the Leahy Cup in Cobh, Co Cork, today, Sunday.
The talented juniors, who have often been teammates on the Munster Sensa team for stage races, were in opposition today; O’Brien with O’Leary’s Stone Kanturk and Shanahan with Limerick CC.
O’Brien said he knew it was game over from as early as the first lap of eight today when Dunbar attacked and got away with just Simon Twomey (Giant Racing Team) for company.
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“Eddie went on the first lap and there was a group of us away on the Valley Road, and then Eddie went again and Simon Twomey went with him,” explained the fifth year student riding his home race.
He added once the duo moved clear, and given his team mate Dunbar’s strength, he knew he had to act quickly to attack after them.
“I couldn’t get across to them,” he lamented.
“Eddie rode Simon off his wheel after about a lap and a half together and we caught him with about three laps to go and that was that."
Dylan O'Brien has already represented Ireland and has built considerable experience racing abroad considering his young age. He's hoping to wear the green jersey in the upcoming European Championships next month (Photo: Wielerfoto's Manou)
In the chase group with him were Ronan O’Shea (iBike) and the Limerick CC pairing of Eoin O’Connell and Shanahan (Limerick CC), with Twomey joining them as they mopped him up.
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“We weren’t riding very well initially,” said O’Brien of the chase behind.
“It was only until about three laps to go we got motoring but the bunch just stalled behind so there was no fear of being caught.”
O’Brien blasted up the brutal climb to the finish for second; not the first time he’s been beaten by Dunbar this year.
However, he has also claimed victories himself; at the Ken O'Keeffe Memorial in Whitechurch and the Tour of Connacht.
“The legs are a bit dead, I had about three weeks off in April and May, I was sick before we went to France,” he said, referring to the short stage race he rode with the Nicolas Roche Performance team two weeks ago.
“And I was sick up until the Tour of the North (May Bank Holiday weekend) so this is only my third week back.”
The plan now is to continue training hard with a view to being in peak shape for the Junior Tour and European Championships, should he gain selection.
In third place today, Limerick’s Shanahan will follow a similar programme and he said he felt he could have done no more today.
“I’m happy enough, I knew Dylan would destroy me in the sprint for second,” he stated.
“In these races I’m just trying to get a bit of form for the Junior Tour. I’ve a load of training done, so these races are just warming up; there’s bigger ones to come in July.”
However, he believes he could make more of his chances in races if he could improve his finish.
“Eddie is always flying. Winning by over six minutes today showed that; he destroyed us. I don’t have any problems on the hills but the sprint is killing me. If I could sprint better I might have gotten second.”
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