Luke Smith takes victory from quality breakaway in Limerick

*Luke Smith, far left, on his way to victory in the final sprint of the main event in Knockaderry, Co Limerick, today (Photo: Bryan Keane - Inpho)*

Luke Smith has gotten his National Road Series 2021 campaign off to the best possible start with victory in the elite men’s race in Limerick today.

The 22-year-old, who is back riding for his local club Moynalty CC, made the winning breakaway today in the 136.8km race. And though there were attacks from the 10-man escape group over the last two laps, the group was together at the base of the final climb close to the finish.

On that climb Mark Dowling (All Human-VeloRevolution) took the initiate and his attack split the group. Smith (Moynalty CC), Chris McGlinchey (Spectra Wiggle p/b Vitus) and Gareth O’Neill (Caldwell Cycles) reacted and got clear of the others in the breakaway alongside Dowling.

Those four riders pulled out a modest gap, though the front of the race regrouped just before the finish, where Smith took victory in a sprint. O'Neill was 2nd, with Dowling taking 3rd and McGlinchey 4th.

*There was some great racing in Limerick today, with curious locals checking out the action from the roadside (Photo: Bryan Keane - Inpho)*

Aside from the aforementioned four riders, also in the winning breakaway today were: Darnell Moore (Caldwell Cycles), Jason Kenny (UCD Cycling Club), Richard Meaney (Westport Covey Wheelers), Ronan Killeen (Lucan CRC), Lindsay Watson (Powerhouse Sport), Richard Maes (All human-VeloRevolution) and Nathan Keown (Dan Morrissey-MIG-Pactimo).

Maes and McGlinchey initially missed the boat but blasted across to the breakaway, numbering seven riders at the time, after it had established a gap. That made nine up front, with Moore then last man across after taking off from the bunch on his own and catching the breakway solo.

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Smith said he felt his win today was “a long time coming”
but it was reward for the training he had put in over the last eight months;
much of that work done during lock-down conditions in Ireland due to the
pandemic.

“I knew (the course) from the nationals last year; knew it was a tough course,” he said of the 17.1km circuit the men’s races were run over, based out of Knockaderry.

“It’s just a process of elimination, a wearing down lap by lap; keeping the wheels, keeping the wheels,” Smith said, adding the winning breakaway finally went clear on the penultimate lap of eight.

“The bunch sat up, we got an immediate gap. We rode
through nicely and it was just a matter of being cute and marking the main lads
and keeping your powder dry for as long as possible.

“But I’m just absolutely delighted. It’s been a while
since I got the hands up (in victory) and hopefully there is plenty more where
that came from.”

Smith said he had not considered the five more rounds to come in the National Road Series, which he now leads. He added he was just delighted to be back racing again and competing once more with his local club Moynalty.