John Buller powers to victory on dirty day at Tour of Ards

*John Buller takes a very strong win at the Tour of Ards, clearly riding very well back on the domestic scene after a couple of seasons in France (Photo: John Buller)*

John Buller, the former Irish U23 road race champion and elite national criterium champion, has opened his account for the 2023 season with victory in the Tour of Ards today. The race, promoted by Ards Cycling Club, was run off in tough conditions on a wet day for racing.

Buller has been in France in recent seasons but is now back home on the domestic scene and is one of several Irish riders competing with British outfit PB Performance this year.

A very strong breakaway emerged at the front today to compete for the victory in the final, with Buller present along with his PB Performance team mate Gareth O'Neill. Conn McDunphy, the Lucan CRC man who won in Carrick-on-Suir yesterday, was also present along with Lindsay Watson (Powerhouse Sport) and Irish junior road race champion Oisin Ferrity (Caldwell Cycles).

McDunphy and O'Neill were away in a two-man move only for the other three to get across, making for a five-man group that went on to fight it out for victory. Buller took the win from Watson, McDunphy, O'Neill and Ferrity, in that order. Darnell Moore (Caldwell Cycles), who had been in the winning breakaway, took 6th

The race was based out of Portaferry and unfolded on two circuits on the Ards peninsula, with three laps of a large circuit before the riders moved on to a small circuit, which they covered twice making a total race distance of 69 miles. The finish was up Windmill Hill, at the end of a short stretch the riders only negotiated once as it was off the small circuit.

Ards CC went for a massed start format, with no handicaps today, and when the event began in tailwind sections the speed was ramped up immediately. Within 10-15km the field had split and a group of about eight riders moved clear.

In that group were the eventual top six - Buller, Watson, McDunphy, O'Neill, Ferrity and Moore - along with Liam Crichton (Velo Café Magasin), among others. Once that group was gone it was never seen again, with its gap over the nearest chasers getting up to three minutes.

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Up front, the two PB Performance riders combined very well, with Buller marking Watson and O'Neill watching McDunphy. While O'Neill and McDunphy managed to get clear in the attacking that characterised the final, they were caught by the other three inside 5km to go.

And though Watson then put in a big dig to try and get clear just before the finish, he was covered by those he was with. The breakaway then swung off the course and towards the finish up the incline, with Buller taking a very clear win and looking good for more this year.