Mark Dowling gives the victory salute at the end of a masterful performance in Co Carlow today to claim the 2015 Des Hanlon Memorial (Photo: Sean Rowe)
By Brian Canty
Mark Dowling has won the Des Hanlon Memorial in stunning fashion this afternoon, blitzing the stellar field to win solo before a huge crowd in Carlow.
The DID Dunboyne rider had around 30 to 40 seconds to spare on Ryan Sherlock (Unattached) who was next over the line.
Robin Kelly (Waterford Racing Team) rounded out the podium for third place. He came in at the head of a group of around a dozen riders.
That was all that remained of the front group after it became whittled down over the 160 kilometres.
Dowling said afterwards it was arguably the best win of his career. He beat a quality field in very convincing style to gain a victory that all of the best riders want in their palmares.
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The Rás Mumhan and Suir Valley Three Day reigning champion waited and waited until the latter portion of the race today before pulling the trigger.
Michael O'Loughlin wins the A3-Junior event with a very strong ride that brings to four his tally of wins so far this season (Photo: Sean Rowe)
He attacked on the third and final lap just after Castlecomer. And on the steepest section of the course unleashed his trademark acceleration.
He immediately distanced the front group that was now down to no more than 25 riders.
A few tried to follow his acceleration including eventual runner up Sherlock and the strong men of Aquablue and Team ASEA.
However, while they were willing and able to go after him, none made any real inroads into his lead.
Dowling had around an hour left to race at that point and still had it all to do but took on the challenge decisively.
Sherlock tried again and again to bridge and managed to get a chase group going that featured Sean McKenna (Aquablue), Paidi O’Brien (Osbourne Meats-McCarthy Cycles) and at least two ASEA men.
Ryan Sherlock, in white, intends to focus on mountain bike racing this year, but he will use the road as preparation for his key off-road events. His 2nd place at the Des Hanlon Memorial today shows he is in very good form (Photo: Sean Rowe)
But Dowling continued to plough away at the head of affairs on his own.
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His first time check was 35 seconds before the final drag up to the grotto. But when he crested that and was on the run-in for home he had over a minute.
That was enough to deflate the chase behind, with those closest to him now in a battle for second place.
Sherlock, as ever, refused to give in and took flight after Dowling. And though he battled gamely he never bridged.
He would take 2nd and then collapse in a heap at the finish from his effort. Kelly did superbly to get third having been dropped on the final climb.
His persistence was rewarded as he got back onto the tail-end of the front group and found the energy to muster a sprint.
How it unfolded
The race was an absolute brute and took off shortly after 12 noon at a ferocious rate – helped by the tailwind in the early part of the course.
The first KOH after around 20 kilometres of riding meant many riders were shelled out the back at that point and some nerves in the bunch saw a couple of early spills.
Daire Feeley (iTap) appeared to come off worst and never remounted. The same fate would befall Anto Walsh (Aqua Blue) and Jason Prendergast (Fitscience).
Two others who soldiered on were Team ASEA’s Roger Aiken and Joe Fenlon, though both pulled out shortly afterwards.
Robin Kelly has won plenty of very good races and ridden strongly in major events like the Rás. But having shed weight in the off season, his 3rd place today has to rank as one of his best ever results. He can now be a danger man in some races that he may have counted himself out of in previous seasons, today's undulating event just one example (Photo: John Coleman)
The first climb up by Castlecomer whittled down the peloton considerably – but no break managed to escape, despite constant attacks from Aqua Blue and ASEA.
That was to remain the case for the next lap but on the third lap Keith Gater (Waterford Racing Team) escaped but that too was reeled in as the peloton continued to lose men.
On the third lap there were three groups on the road with a scattering of ones and twos further back.
The third lap saw the hostilities really kick off, and it was on that steep drag after the road turns left for Castlecomer that Dowling launched his race-winning move.
It was very early to take flight but once he got his lead he was never seen again, taking a victory that further underlines his status as one of the very best riders on the hardest courses Ireland has to offer.
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