John McCarthy - seen here earlier in the season in the blue kit - has taken the outright win in the Stafford Wholesale Wexford Two Day main event, for A2 and A3 riders.
John McCarthy (Aquablue) has taken a superb win in the Stafford Wholesalers Wexford 2-Day in the county town of Camross this afternoon, Sunday.
McCarthy, a former National Championships U23 runner-up (to Ciarán Power) made his bid for glory with around 50 kilometres to go on this afternoon's final stage when he put in a blistering attack on the steepest section of the hilly course and took Barry Horgan (Tralee BC Manor West) with him.
They picked up a couple who had been away already - Richie Barry (St Finbarr’s) and Ballymore CC youngster Kevin Hayes - and together the quartet worked very well.
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Though the latter two were dropped, McCarthy and Horgan pressed on, and were soon joined by a number of others from behind; Brian Hart (Limerick CC) and Martin Gill of the host club.
Horgan lost contact, leaving three out front and they proceeded to rip the race to pieces.
From an initial gap of 50 seconds with two laps to go, that margin ballooned to over three minutes and the GC was turned well and truly upside down.
Eoin Greene (Iverk Produce Carrick Wheelers) started the day in yellow, and though he put up a sterling bid to hold on to same, chasing attack after attack, his legs eventually gave out and his chances disappeared at the halfway mark.
By that stage, there were a number of small groups up the road.
Of these, the McCarthy, Gill and Hart move worked the best. And taking the bell, it was McCarthy in virtual yellow courtesy of his second-place finish on the hill climb last night. Gill and Hart had finished well down there, but today they clawed back any deficit.
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Hart, who turns 40 in a few weeks, showed he had the quickest pair of wheels after 110 kilometres of racing, with Gill snatching second and McCarthy third. But the latter took the overall victory for his first win of the year.
Hart finished second overall and Gill jumped up to third.
It was a remarkable turn of events because the first four going into today's stage - Greene, Brian Cullen (Barrow Wheelers), Colm Dillon (Limerick CC) and Brian Canty (Unattached) - had all been in the break the first day, and did good times on the hill-climb last night, all finishing in the top 11.
But they paid a heavy price for watching each other all day as others clipped away.
Barrow Wheelers, to their credit, tried valiantly to shake Greene but he was equal to everything they offered, though not to the attack of McCarthy.
And those top four also slipped well down the GC, as the peloton was at no more than sportif pace for much of the last 30 kilometres.
Trevor Robinson - the Comeragh man who won the opening stage and Marc Flavin (Dungarvan CC) jumped away on the last lap to jump right up the standings, but they never bridged to the front trio.
Meanwhile, Sean McKenna took an outstanding overall win in the A1 race; the UCD rider seeing off the best efforts of more established riders, Dermot Radford (Tipperary Wheelers), Robin Kelly (Aquablue) and Mike Storan (Planet Tri).
We’ll have reaction and loads more on the other races later. We will hopefully have full results of all races later.
