Lindsay Watson Powerhouse Sport Madigan GP

Going up the road early with Ronan McLaughlin, Lindsay Watson (above) won the Madigan GP (Photos by Sharon McFarland)

Lindsay Watson Powerhouse Sport wins Madigan GP

Lindsay Watson has claimed the Madigan Cycles GP after coming out on top in a two-man duel with Ronan McLaughlin.

Both riders have been among the very best on the home scene this year. And once they got clear early in the contest nobody else saw the front of the race again.

They escaped in the early stages of the first of three laps of 18 miles; the strong duo not deterred by the terrain.

It was a hilly course that started and finished in Kilroot near Carrickfergus. It took in the climbs of Bla Hole, Lizard and Seven Sisters.

Once clear Watson and McLaughlin got down to business; opening a gap 1:30 on the main field during the first lap.

An eight-man chase group had set off in pursuit on that first circuit. However, while they were within 20 seconds of the two leaders with two laps to go, they never get up to them.

On the second lap the gap between the two leaders and the chasers was much larger; at about 1:20.

And a second chasing group was a further 15-20 seconds back. But the bunch’s chances were over as it was trailing by more than five minutes.

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Up front Watson was first over the two climbing prime points atop Seven Sisters. And he would prove strongest at the finish.

The Powerhouse Sport man took victory a couple of seconds ahead of Viner-Caremark-Pactimo’s McLaughlin.

Back the road the chasers had split; Watson’s team mate and Irish junior road race champion Adam Ward next on the road alongside Gareth O’Neill of Newry Wheelers.

Ward took 3rd place with O’Neill 4th, the duo 1:20 down on the line. Thirty seconds would elapse before Phoenix CC’s Dale Walker led home a group for 5th.

Next came Cathir Doyle (Powerhouse Sport) who, like Ward, has just returned from Belgium where he would win races on the junior scene.

Rounding out the top 10 were; Richard Maybin (Ballymena Road Club), Nathan Mullan (Dromara CC), Kevin McKinney (Armagh City Cyclists) and Alan Bingham (Newry Wheelers) in that order.

Watson adds his victory on Saturday to his wins earlier in the season in the East Tyrone GP and JG Memorial.

He’s been on the podium 14 times this year and also broke the top 10 at the national road championships; taking 9th in Sligo in July.