Kevin McKinney and Vladislav Evseev take victories at Dunloy GP

*Kevin McKinney (above) has won the main event at the Dunloy GP, with Vladislav Evseev claiming the A4 race (Photo: Sharon McFarland)*

Kevin McKinney has taken victory at the Dunloy GP; the Armagh City Cycles riding getting clear in a four-man breakaway and proving the strongest from it at the end of 75 miles of racing.

McKinney was in the winning group with Kevin Lynch (Newry Wheelers), Mark McKinley (Newry Wheelers) and Ciaran Dixon (Phoenix CC).

When they approached
the finish together, McKinney was wary of the finishing power of the other
riders so went early and held on for a great victory.

With three laps of a 25-mile circuit to race in the main event, the A2 bunch caught the A3s after about one lap. However, a breakaway had gone clear from the A3 bunch by the time it was caught.

That escape group included Oisin Rogers, an Armagh City
Cyclists team mate of eventual winner McKinney. And having a man in the move at
the front of the race enabled McKinney to hang back a little and let his rivals
do the chasing.

Just as the breakaway was being caught, a number of A2
riders attacked the peloton and bridged across to the escapees, with McKinney
among them.

Once those attackers joined forces with the leaders, that
bigger front group then began pulling out a gap on the peloton. And when Mark
McKinley (Newry Wheelers) attacked from
the front group, his move proved decisive.

Related News

Lara Gillespie attacks Dolomite stage as Giro hits high mountains

Video - Italy's hero Balsamo mobbed mid-stage during Giro TT

He was joined by
McKinney and two other strong men in the shape of Ciaran Dixon (Phoenix
CC) and Kevin Lynch (Newry Wheelers).

That made for a
new breakaway of four out front and they were never seen again; pulling out a
winning gap and arriving at the finish to fight it out for the victory.

Mindful that
McKinley has a very good finish, and was 3rd in the main event at the recent
John Haldane, McKinney went early in the sprint and go the gap and hung on.

McKinley was 2nd from Dixon in 3rd and Lynch bringing up the rear of the breakaway in 4th place. Young Patrick O’Loughlin (Panduit Carrick Wheelers) emerged best of the rest to take 5th place from Robert Kennedy (Ballymena Road Club).

The A4 race was taken by Vladislav Evseev (Orwell Wheelers) from the Harps CC duo of Gareth Talbot and Justin Bloomer, with Chris Church of promoting club Dunloy CC in 4th place.