Michael O’Loughlin shows his delight after winning the A3 race at the Des Hanlon Memorial in Carlow (Photo Sean Rowe, homepage photo John Coleman)
By Brian Canty
Michael O’Loughlin yet again proved why he is regarded as the best junior in the country when he soloed to one of his best ever wins in the A3-Junior race at the Des Hanlon Memorial yesterday.
The Irish international and Junior Tour of Ireland stage winner came home well ahead of a huge bunch with two teammates, Adam Stenson and Jake Gray, somewhere in between for a memorable 1-2-3 for Magnet.ie-NRPT.
As always, the A3-Junior race was the biggest field of the day, with over 200 entrants, and Phil Finnegan’s young charges were heavily marked in the early stages of the race.
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But the Des Hanlon is an event that always whittles down the field and on the climb of Castlecomer the first big shake-up took place.
O’Loughlin launched a massive attack – no doubt spurred on there by his watching parents - but it was Adam Stenson, a winner in Clonard already this year, who got away, countering O'Loughlin's surge.
Two good ones; Dermot White and Adam Stenson were 2nd and 4th yesterday (Photo: Sean Rowe)
Stenson took Dermot White of Lucan CRC with him while Mark O’Callaghan (Limerick CC) tacked on the back and they were gone.
They rode very well together as the field began to fragment badly. And sensing an opportunity, O’Loughlin went again and managed to escape.
He took three with him - teammate Jake Gray, Matteo Cigala (Navan RC) and Cathal Clarke of Newry Wheelers.
They rode well but O’Loughlin was too strong, dropping the latter two at the top of the grotto before himself and Gray went onto the fast downhill and the last lap.
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Jake Gray, leading, continued his progression in the junior ranks by completing the 1-2-3 for NRPT-Magnet.ie (Photo: Marian Lamb - Cycling Ulster)
Gray and O’Loughlin pressed on ahead in pursuit of the trio up front and bridged across just before Castlecomer on that last lap.
Lesser riders would have called a halt to hostilities but Stenson and O’Loughlin lifted the pace and got away again, leaving Gray and O’Callaghan behind.
The leaders worked up and over and pulled out big time on the trailing two, with the bunch now over four minutes down.
Going over the final climb of the day by the grotto, O’Loughlin mustered the energy to go again and dropped Stenson before soloing to the finish 10 kilometres away.
Stenson was next home shortly after the winner, with Gray taking third.
The very promising White took 4th place for Lucan CRC and looks to be riding himself into contention for national team selection; something that would surely come with one win.
Des Hanlon Memorial
Sun, March 22nd: Carlow
A3-Junior Race
1 Michael O’Loughlin (NRPT-Magnet.ie)
2 Adam Stenson (NRPT-Magnet.ie)
3 Jake Grey (NRPT-Magnet.ie)
4 Dermot White (Lucan CRC)
5 Dion McCarthy (Zanetta Lotto)
6 Cathal Clarke (Newry Wheelers)
A3 Prizes
1 Matteo Cigala (Navan Road Club)
2 Cormac Daly (Tralee CC)
3 Glen Dunwood (Shelbourne Orchard)
4 David Halligan Comeragh CC)
5 Noel O’Dwyer (Comeragh CC)
6 Niall Whelan (Laois CTC)
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