Martin O'Loughlin has used his sprint to take his second win of the weekend and his third of the season at the Kanturk Three Day today, Sunday. Seen above in Damien Jackson's photo opening his 2014 account in Carrick on St Patrick's Day.
By Brian Canty
Martin O'Loughlin has taken another great stage win from a bunch gallop on stage 3 of the O’Leary Stone Kanturk Three Day in Co Cork today, Sunday.
The Iverk Produce Carrick Wheelers rider just got the better of Blarney CC's Finbarr O'Callaghan.
It is O'Callaghan's team mate Kieran Crean who remains in the race leader's yellow jersey going into the final stage tomorrow after taking it when winning this morning’s time trial stage 2.
This afternoon O'Loughlin made it win number three for the season after taking Saturday’s opener here and also winning in Carrick on St Patrick’s Day.
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He looks bang in form to try and win the overall this week and will undoubtedly give it a right rattle tomorrow in a bid to win his third title here.
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A number of moves tried unsuccessfully to clip away on the five laps around the pan-flat Banteer circuit this afternoon, but none managed to get any meaningful time.
And with Blarney CC keen to keep Crean in yellow doing a strong job on the front, many more decided to perhaps keep themselves fresher for tomorrow's final leg.
It meant the race came down to a bunch sprint, with O’Loughlin taking it from O’Callaghan. Crean holds onto yellow after that morning time-trial victory.
Overall leader Crean did a superb 8km test, clocking 10:44 which was almost half a minute faster than his winning time on the same stage last year.
Crucially it was five seconds faster than National Junior TT champion Eddie Dunbar of host club O'Leary Stone Kanturk CC.
So it is all to play for on tomorrow’s 90km stage with a host of riders still very much in contention.
Crean will need no reminding, however, of the perils of the final day. He lost the yellow jersey within sight of the line 12 months back when the peloton splintered on the drag up to the finish.
And tomorrow he can expect a painful day with so many well placed to challenge him for the coveted overall win.
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