Killeen beats Dowling to win in sweltering conditions at Waller Cup

*The Waller Cup in Bohermeen was run off in challenging conditions and though it was cut short by one lap, due to the heat, it was still an epic battle, won by Ronan Killeen (Photo: Sean Rowe)*

After making the breakaway in Rathcoole yesterday, Ronan Killeen was up the road again today in Bohermeen and made the most of his chance with a strong win in the main event at the Waller Cup.

The Lucan CRC rider broke away from the winning escape
with Mark Dowling (All Human-VeloRevolution). And while Dowling is a former
Irish criterium champion, with a very good finish, Killeen saw him off in the
two-up sprint to the line.

There was nothing in it between the two riders at the finish but Killeen just about had enough on the line to take victory from Dowling.

The race was run-off in sunshine and sweltering heat in Co Meath; the main event cut by one lap, of 16km, to seven laps because of the heat.

*Cigala leads home the chasing group, with all the riders looked shattered after such a long race in challenging conditions with the sun beating down (Photo: Sean Rowe)*

Behind the two leaders, the other breakaway riders split; Gareth O’Neill (Caldwell Cycles Omagh) finishing in 3rd on his own and then John Buller (Amicale Cycliste Bisontine) taking 4th, also finishing alone.

A five-man group was next to arrive at the finish to sprint it out for 5th place, which was taken by Matteo Cigala (Dan Morrissey-MIG-Pactimo), last weekend’s Tommy Brady Memorial winner in Robinstown.

Killeen did it the hard way today, missing some key
splits and escapes early in the race and eventually ending up in the third
group on the road after about an hour of racing.

However, with about 50km completed in the main event he
got into a chasing group that caught those ahead and ended up back at the front
of the race.

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And while there was plenty of action from that front
group, as it split several times only to regroup, the decisive move was made
with about 20km to go.

Killeen and Dowling broke away in a four-man move that
also included Darnell Moore (Caldwell Cycles) and Daire Feeley (All
Human-VeloRevolution), making for a very strong quartet.

Feeley took his latest win – in Rathcoole, Co Dublin –
yesterday at the Starsky Cycling promotion while Moore has taken two wins in
the last week; Mondello last Tuesday night and yesterday at the Lady of the
Lake Race in Co Fermanagh.

While the four leaders worked well together to open a gap
on the chasing group, after about 10km Dowling had a go and managed to split
the four-man breakaway.

When he struck out with about 10km to go Killeen went
with him and together they managed to distance the form riders, Moore and Feeley.

At the finish, Killeen went from a long way out and proved to have the staying power to win. Feeley and Moore were caught by the group behind, with the latter stage of the race seeing O’Neill and Buller finishing strongly for 3rd and 4th.

Cigala won the sprint for 5th from Moore and Tom Moriarty, the former Irish junior champion, now riding for Tralee Manor West BC. Ben Walsh (EvoPro Racing) and Mitchell McLaughlin (SwiftCarbon Pro Cycling) were also in the group and were 8th and 9th.