Killian O'Brien (17) strikes at Newry Three Day as four rides make gains | Sticky Bottle

*Killian O'Brien wins the stage and takes the yellow jersey at the Newry Three Day (Photo: Sharon McFarland)*

Killian O'Brien (Orwell Wheelers) has continued what is turning out to be a breakthrough season for him with victory on stage 2 of the Newry Three Day today. The 17-year-old was among a four-man breakaway that gained time as the field split to pieces and the main bunch - down to just 30 riders - lost between two and three minutes to the leaders and a chasing group.

O'Brien had already won the A3-Junior Shay Elliott in Co Wicklow and finish 3rd in a round of the Cycling Ireland National Series, riding against the seniors in Co Kerry last month, and those legs were very much on show today when he finished solo.

He had been in the winning four-man breakaway with Ronan Killeen (Lucan CRC), Joe Nathan Matar (Orwell Wheelers) and British rider Aaron Mansell (Halesowen). The two Orwell riders in the group managed to make their numbers count, with O'Brien getting up the road and winning the stage.

*Paul Kennedy, today's yellow jersey, leads the group before being stranded in the bunch as a breakaway, and then a chasing group, got clear (Photo: Sharon McFarland)*

He claimed that victory, after 123km of racing on the Camlough circuit, by eight seconds from the three chasers; brought home by Killeen, a stage winner last year, with Mansell 3rd and Matar placing 4th.

The eventual stage winner was in a 10-man breakaway with two, of four, loops of the circuit completed and when they got caught he went on the main climb on the course. After his attack about halfway up the climb, Killeen, Matar and Mansell got across to him and they were never seen again.

The four riders up front worked well together but O'Brien was biding his time until the final lap. He attacked hard on the climb, just before the finish, getting clear solo to win.

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While the main field was just over three minutes behind O'Brien today, an eight-man chasing group was much closer to the four leaders and finished just 39 seconds down on the stage winner to keep their general classification hopes alive.

Last year's national junior road race champion, Oisin Ferrity (Caldwell Cycles) won the sprint from that group for 5th place, with Edward Kearney (Phoenix CC) in 6th.

*Killeen leads in Mansell and Matar, that trio still well in contention to win the final yellow jersey tomorrow (Photo: Sharon McFarland)*

The others in the chasing group, and filling placings to 7th to 12th, or order, were: David Gaffney (Dungarvan CC), Chris Richardson (North Down CC), Matthew Kinkaid of host club Newry Wheelers CC, Stephen Irvine (Crossgar Cycling Club), Luke Joyce (North Down CC) and Conor Murphy (Rostrevor CC) - the latter finishing six seconds off the back of the others.

Behind them, Daragh Doherty (Flanders Color Defever) and yesterday's breakaway man and stage runner-up Alan Bingham (Newry Wheelers) finished together. They took 13th and 14m some 2:28 down on the stage winner. The sprint for 15th place, from the reduced bunch, was won by Gavin Hendley (Lucan CRC).

As stage 1 winner, and today's yellow jersey, Paul Kennedy (Burren CC), finished in the remains of the bunch he has relinquished the race lead, which passes to O'Brien.

The teenager, from south Dublin, now leads the overall standings going into the final day's racing, by eight seconds from Mansell, with Matar and Killeen 3rd and 4th on the same time. Tomorrow's final stage is 113km to Rathfriland, for an uphill finish.