Matthew Teggart has had a hard time as a junior, being hit badly by injury. But he's been back with a bang in recent months and today took a great Junior Tour stage win from a breakaway. Seen here winning the Groucho’s Grand Prix in Richhill last month.
By Brian Canty
Having bounced back from a year wrecked by injury with some good wins in recent months, Matthew Teggart has added to that tally today, taking the sprint from a 15-man escape that settled stage 3 of the Stena Junior Tour of Ireland.
The Standard Life Nicolas Roche Performance Team man just edged out Stephen Shanahan (Irish National Team) and Jonathen Brown (Hot Tubes) after 122 kilometres of racing in sweltering temperatures.
The race was a real hard man’s stage and took the riders in a north easterly direction from Ennis to Barefield, Gort, Lisdoonvarna, Doolin, the Cliffs of Moher, Liscannor and Lahinch. There were four climbs, including the first cat one of the race at Corkscrew Hill after 94 kilometres.
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It was there that the real damage was done and the selection was made after an early break was reeled in by the relentless pace at the front of the Irish National team.
That break included two Munster Sensa riders, Jack Hickey and Steven Gilman, as well as Darragh Long of the Nicolas Roche Performance Team, but the latter was soon back in the bunch.
That left two out front and as they were no threat overall they were given some rope to go up the road - but not too much.
Hickey was just under seven minutes down overall and at one stage they had over two minutes on the chasers who were content to keep the pace steady, perhaps in fear of the category one climbs that lay in store.
Obviously keen not to lie down to the strong Irish team, Hot Tubes began attacking around the 50-kiloemtre mark, though Hickey and Gilman did take the points on the KOH at Carron, with Craig McAuley (NRPT) taking the points for third over the top.
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However, the efforts by the two up front eventually took their toll and they were back in the bunch before the real showdown at Corkscrew Hill unfolded.
There, race leader Eddie Dunbar lit things up. And with team mate Michael O’Loughlin also doing some massive turns, riders soon poured out the back.
Sensing an opportunity to put more time into those closest to him, Dunbar took flight but was soon reeled back in.
That chase effectively reduced the peloton to less than 40 riders; as McAuley took top points on the KOH at Corkscrew Hill, closing the margin to Dunbar in that classification to just six points.
Over the top, and the big move went.
In there were the Irish team quartet of Dunbar, Shanahan, Daire Feely and O’Loughlin along with Munster Sensa man Dylan O' Brien, Teggart, McAuley, Cathal Clarke (Cycling Ulster), Jack Maddux (Hot Tubes), Philip O' Donnell (Hot Tubes) and Jonathen Brown (Hot Tubes).
Three more joined in the shape of Sean Noon (Edinburgh RC), Simon Tuomey (Iverk Produce Carrick Wheelers) and Caimin Muldoon (Nicolas Roche performance Team).
And that’s how it stayed to the line with the various teams jockeying for position trying to tee up their respective men.
But when it came to the gallop it was Teggart who followed up yesterday’s bunch sprint win for second place with a fine victory today.
Dunbar keeps yellow and the climbers’ jersey. O’Loughlin is the leading first year junior and Teggart wears the green jersey.
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