Irish rider Peter McColgan has taken victory in the 2,500km TransAtlantic Way Race; the Dubliner arriving at the finish line in Cork City this afternoon after more than five days of racing.
McColgan (32) has competed on the Irish road race scene for St Tiernan's CC and four years ago took overall victory, and two stage wins, in the Omagh Three Day.
He finished 2nd last year in the TransAtlantic Way Race but has now gone one better and written his name into the history of the epic endurance race with his first victory.
Benny Cassidy of Blarney CC has finished 2nd with Donnacha Cassidy taking 3rd place. McColgan completed the demanding event in a time of five days and 10 hours.
This year’s event was hit by Covid-19 restrictions, both in Ireland and internationally, and complications to travel plans because of the pandemic meant fewer riders traveled from abroad to race.
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However, while the field was just 21 riders when the event began in Derry five days ago, McColgan’s 2nd place last year – behind winner Rachel Nolan – meant he would have been one of the favourites irrespective of the numbers, or individual riders, in the field this year.
The race began
last Thursday morning at 5am from Derry, following the Wild Atlantic Way down
the west coast, with a compulsory checkpoint in Abbey, Co Galway. From there
the riders followed the Wild Atlantic Way southwards towards the finish in Cork
City.
Julie Rea, who races for Phoenix CC on the Irish road race scene, was the leading solo woman in the field on Tuesday evening. The masters rider had 1,360km completed.
Dutch rider Annemiek Stegehuis, who has won UCI Grand Fondos and rode the Dubai Women's Tour (2.2) last year, was just ahead of Rea. However, Stegehuis is riding the event as part of the only two-person team in the race. The 36-year-old had ridden 1,430km at the time of writing.
More to come.
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