Jason Prendergast (leading) has been sidelined for a while because of injury but his form and ambition are very much in order in advance of his big goal for the season, the Junior Tour of Ireland.
Junior rider Jason Prendergast has bounced back from a four week injury related lay off by taking the John Holian Memorial in Co Mayo after going off scratch with the A1/A2 riders rather than with the limit group some six minutes up the road.
After foregoing starting in the front group, in the last 10km after the groups had merged Prendergast was in the thick of the action. He went clear in a breakaway of four and on the long drag up to the finish he dropped the others and took a lone win by around 10 seconds from his fellow escapees.
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It was a very strong ride by the junior from Cunga CC, especially since he has only been back on the bike for two weeks after being forced to stop for a month because of tendonitis in his knee. He was dropped from the Irish team for the Junior Tour of Ireland as a result, but is now hopeful the injury-related mid season break may leave him fresher than the opposition.
“You have to look on the bright side of these things I suppose,” he told stickybottle.
“I went off with the A1 and A2 group last night to make it harder for myself; for the training before the Junior Tour.”
Last night’s race in Cross was five laps of a seven mile circuit, with the large six-minute deficit between the two groups closed at around the halfway point. While there was plenty of attacking for a lap after the juncture was made, it wasn’t until the riders were ramping up for the last lap that the winning breakaway went clear.
As well as Prendergast in that move were Cale Coen (Castlebar CC), Kieran Heneghan (Western Lakes CC) and Tony Bourke (Galway Bay).
“We rode hard, pretty much flat out all the way,” said Prendergast.
“We got around 35 seconds but we knew we had to keep it going because there were some very good riders in the group just behind us; the likes of David Brennan (Castlebar CC) and my brother Charles (Polygon Sweet Nice) and a few others.”
With the breakaway staying clear in the final 10km; coming into the finish Prendergast attacked the other three with around 1km remaining. He got a gap and pushed that advantage all the way to the line up the finishing drag.
Heneghan took second, with Coen third and Bourke taking fourth. Best of the large group behind was Eoin Whelan of Seven Springs in fifth and Brennan in sixth place.
Prendergast was understandably delighted with his form after coming back from a worrying injury.
“I knew I was capable of it but doing it so soon after coming back was the surprise. I’m being coached by David O’Loughlin and he’s a fella who knows what he’s doing, so hopefully now I can be strong for the Junior Tour.
Asked about his aims in that race next month, he is matter of fact: “I’m going in to win it, to get the yellow jersey. I feel I'm capable of it but it’s always a case of having to get in the right moves on the different days.”
He added with such a large number of strong Irish juniors at present, the racing should be very open.
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“There are a lot of good juniors and the Irish team will be strong; the likes of Eddie Dunbar and Dylan Foley and a few others. Then of course you’ll have the riders from the US, they are always pretty good.”
Having been forced to relinquish his place on the national team because of his injury, Prendergast will most likely ride the race for the Mayo team. And having finished third best Irish rider last year and won in great style last night from the A1/A2 group, he will certainly be one to watch.
John Holian Memorial, Cross, Co Mayo
1st Jason Prendergast (Cunga CC)
2nd Kieran Heneghan (Western Lakes CC)
3rd Cale Coen (Castlebar CC)
4th Tony Bourke (Galway Bay)
5th Eoin Whelan (Seven Springs)
6th David Brennan (Castlebar CC)
Primes:
Laps 2 & 3 Karl Benson (Castlebar CC)
Lap 4 Tony Bourke (Galway Bay)
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