Ireland's Liam O'Brien (Tofauti Everyone Active) and Killian O'Brien (Leinster Cycling) have both put in impressive rides on the final day of action at the Junior Tour of Wales on Tumble Mountain. Liam O'Brien, who began the day 4th overall after a great ride over the four stages, ended the race on the final podium.
He escaped in a strongman's front group today, powering clear of the rest of the field, while young Killian O'Brien, a first-year junior from Orwell Wheelers, lived up to his reputation as an emerging climber. He put in a fine performance on the final climb to the finish line at the end of 110.7km of racing.
Liam O'Brien started the winning breakaway, on the second last climb, some 50km from the finish; that four-man group building an advantage of over two minutes at one point. And when the four leaders got to Tumble Mountain, O'Brien attacked Tomos Pattison (Wales) - who was also in the breakaway and was virtual yellow jersey - in a bid to win the race overall.
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While Pattison was able to respond, and so finished on the same time as O'Brien today, thus winning the race overall, it was a commanding performance by Cork teenager O'Brien, who is signed to the Lidl-Trek Development Team for next year.
Liam O'Brien ended today's stage in 3rd place, moving him up to 2nd in the final overall, while Killian O'Brien was 11th on the stage, and moved up to 16th overall.
The final stage was won by Cormac Nisbet of Zappi Racing; an 18-year-old who also won stage 2 on The Black Mountain finish. Nisbet was once again solo out front today; making the four-man group that O'Brien started with about 50km to go and then attacking that group on Tumble Mountain. He claimed victory by 16 seconds from Ryan Williams (BCC Race Team) with O'Brien in 3rd on the same time.
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Unfortunately for O'Brien, Tomos Pattinson (Wales) had started today's stage two places ahead of him in the general classification. And when he also made the front group today, finishing 4th and just one second behind O'Brien, he took the final yellow jersey from his team mate Ben Marsh.
Once solo winner Nisbet finished today and the chasing trio came over the line 16-17 seconds later, the gaps back to the next riders were bigger; Oliver Peace (Tofauti Everyone Active) 5th at 38 seconds.
Killian O'Brien was 11th at 1:03; a very promising ride by him, which proved he was one of the strongest in the race. That performance offers the first evidence, though not unexpected after his performances at home this year, his climbing abilities may be at international level.
In the end, Pattinson ran out the overall winner by 14 seconds from Liam O'Brien, with Nisbet 3rd overall at 27 seconds. Killian O'Brien was 16th at 2:35 with Cal Tutty (E Tarrant & Sons Skoda Munster) in 22nd overall, at 3:22.
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