Mark Dowling looked like he had missed the boat at the John Beggs Memorial promoted by Banbridge Cycling Club today only to come through late to win it.
Dowling (Unattached Leinster) suffered a mechanical early in the race and spent the day chasing after victory.
However, in the latter stages he bridged to the remains of the early breakaway.
And though they were swamped at the finish by a chase group, he won it from Conor Hennebry (Dan Morrissey-MIG-Pactimo).
The race was part of the National Road Series and in the early stages of the contest some of the men battling it out for that title took flight.
Series leader James Curry and his nearest challenger Hennebry – team mates this year at Dan Morrissey-MIG-Pactimo - joined the early breakaway.
They were with team mate Ronan McLaughlin, along with Darnell Moore and Angus Fyffe of Caldwell Cycles, David Montgomery (Unattached Ulster) and Donal Shearer (Phoenix CC).
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Behind the breakaway a strong
group of 12 chasers would eventually form by the halfway point in the four-lap
race promoted by Banbridge CC.
Eventual winner Dowling was among
the chasers along with Bryan Geary (Panduit Carrick Wheelers), Darragh McCarter (Donegal Bay CC), Marc Potts (Unattached
Ulster) Conor Gallagher (Bioracer DHL FRS), Jody
Wright (Phoenix CC) and John Buller (Bioracer DHL
FRS).
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Also present in that second group was Michael McGlynn (Omagh Wheelers), Craig McAuley (Caldwell Cycles), Mark McGinley (Four Masters) Cian May (Lucan CRC) and Edvins Silovs (North Tipperary).
By the halfway point there was a two minute gap between
the breakaway and the bunch, with the chase group halfway between that two.
With 70km of the 128km raced, that gap
between the leaders and the chasing group hand grown to two minutes and it
looked like the men up front would fight it out for the victory.
However, with just over a lap to go the
front group split; Hennebry and Moore dropping back as their respective team
mates Curry and Fyffe pressed on at the head of the race.
They would then be joined again by Shearer
as well as Hennebry and Montgomery, though Shearer later lost his place up
front.
And as the race dipped under 30km to go the gap between the leaders and the chase group was back to 20 seconds.
Dowling then made his move from the chase
group, joining those up front with a four-man group forming.
In that breakaway were Dowling, Fyffe, Montgomery and Hennebry, who were chased down all the way and were just about caught on the line by a chasing group.
However, Dowling hung on to get he verdict over Hennebry with Darnell Moore coming through to take 3rd after Cian May (Lucan CRC) had put in a strong bid late in the contest to catch the four leaders.
More to follow.
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