Lane (15) wins senior Newry Three Day, Holmes best on Spelga after 100km+ attack

Luca Holmes threw the kitchen sink at it during the final stage of the Newry Three Day, taking the stage win on Spelga Dam, though 15-year-old Tom Lane wrapped up overall victory (Photo: Jerome Rafferty)

Luca Holmes (Molenspurters Meulebeke) flies out on Monday morning for a Team Ireland pre-Europeans training camp in Portugal with confidence after taking a strong win on Spelga Dam today after more than 100km on the attack.

However, while Holmes really impressed, and was yellow jersey on the road for long periods, the man of the weekend was 15-year-old Tom Lane. The Dan Morrissey Pissei rider is a first-year U16 this season but was given special permission to ride the senior Newry Three Day this weekend.

He really embraced being given the chance; winning Saturday's stage 2 to claim the yellow jersey. Lane then held the race lead today to win the event outright despite coming under serious pressure on the 103km stage.

From the gun today, UK team Halesowen - which had claimed the opening stage thanks to Luke Mannings - was very active in firing riders off the front. Eventual stage winner Holmes went with one of those attacks shortly after the start and it stuck, with about half a dozen others joining to to create the break of the day.

Though they had over 100km ahead of them, including the uphill finish on Spelga, they committed to their task and had a gap of over three minutes on the bunch at one point. And that meant Holmes was in virtual yellow as he had started the day 3rd overall, some 2:08 down on Lane.

*Aliyah Rafferty in yellow, on her way to winning the women's and junior classifications this weekend, placing 5th on today's final stage (Photo: Jerome Rafferty)*

However, the riders - and promoting club Newry Wheelers - were hit by an unfortunate episode when the racing had to be neutralised in the final third of the stage for about 10 minutes as cows were on the road.

Though everyone got going again after the unavoidable stop, the breakaway's cooperation faded and it was mainly Holmes and one of the Halesowen riders doing the work. That resulted in the breakaway's advantage being slashed from the time the race re-strated.

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And though Holmes powered his way up Spelga at the finish to win solo, he did not gain the time required to take yellow from young Lane. The 15-year-old ended the race the deserved winner, enjoying a weekend that has now really put him on the map.

Holmes and some of the other breakaway riders - not to mention women's race winner Aliyah Rafferty (Tofauti Everyone Active) - held off the strongest of the chasers to take the stage placings.

Holmes claimed the stage by 23 seconds from the in-form Marcus Flavin (Dungarvan CC), who won the Christy McManus Memorial in Co Wicklow three weeks ago. Gary Cranston (AHCC) was 3rd at 33 seconds with Liam Kilkenny (Galway Bay CC) placed 4th at 50 seconds.

Irish junior road race and TT champion Rafferty put in a storming ride for 5th today - holding the breakaway after it caught the women's group when its handicap was wiped out. Lane took 12th on the stage, some 1:35 down on Holmes.

In the end, Lane won overall by 33 seconds from Holmes. In 3rd place was Gareth McCulllough (Unattached), McCullough was 2nd to Lane on stage 2 after they set off in a two-man move and gained over two minutes. McCullough finished on the same time overall as Holmes, though the latter was officially 2nd on GC and McCullough 3rd.

Rafferty won the women's race overall and the women's junior category. Holmes won the climbers' classification, Mannings won the points classification and Martin O'Loughlin (Midlands Racing Team) won the C3 general classification.

Stage 3 | Hilltown-Spelga Dam (103km)