McDunphy best in Kerry as Kelly, junior O'Brien also impress

*Conn McDunphy wins round 5 of the Cycling Ireland National Road Series in Currow, Co. Kerry (Photo: Bryan Keane-Inpho)*

Conn McDunphy (Lucan CRC) has added another big win to his season tally with victory in the fifth round of the Cycling Ireland National Road Series on Sunday; the John Drumm Cup in Currow, Co Kerry.

The 26-year-old, who competed in Europe last season with Continental team EvoPro Racing, is now really coming into his own on the domestic scene, simply shrugging off a very nasty crash during Rás Tailteann last month and looking in supreme form at present.

He took the victory on Sunday after proving, by far, the strongest in the finale of the race; making his move late when fatigue had set in, with nobody able to match him when he turned on the power in the final 40-50km.

McDunphy adds his latest win to his triumph in the Sean Nolan Meath Grand Prix last weekend, which was round 4 of the series. He was already leader of the men's National Road Series going into yesterday's race but has now further extended his advantage at the top of the standings.

*The early breakaway is led by Aaron Wade from Eoin Kelly, Joel Luke, Cillian Kelly and James Davenport (Photo: Bryan Keane-Inpho)*

Killian O'Brien (Orwell Wheelers) also added to his lead in the junior series after he pulled clear with McDunphy in the finale. And while he was distanced by McDunphy and caught by one of the chases - Eoin Kelly (UCD CC) - O'Brien still took 3rd place, a great return for his efforts.

"I'm happy with that because I'm just off a pretty heavy training block for the National Championships," McDunphy said after his win. "I wasn't sure how I would fare. The course didn't necessarily suit me, it was flat and fast, there were a few kickers that split it up towards the end of the race.

"I was lucky to have Killian (O'Brien) with me in the breakaway - he was doing some savage turns. I'm happy enough with the win, it's nice to get another win on the cards. Every day that you win a bike race is a good day."

Yesterday's race was 130km - a little shorter than recent rounds - and saw the riders take in five laps of a circuit around Currow, Castleisland and Scartaglin, with also a short run onto the circuit at the start and back to the finish at the end.

*Then there were four: McDunphy and O'Brien - on the senior and junior series leaders' jerseys - with UCD's Luke and Kelly, the two survivors from the early breakaway (Photo: Bryan Keane-Inpho)*

Related News

Lara Gillespie attacks Dolomite stage as Giro hits high mountains

Video - Italy's hero Balsamo mobbed mid-stage during Giro TT

While McDunphy came good as the race finale unfolded, it was five other riders who dominated proceedings earlier in the race. Aaron Wade (Cortizo Aluminium Team), Eoin Kelly (University College Dublin CC), Cillian Murphy (Galway Bay CC), Joel Luke (University College Dublin CC) and James Davenport (All human-VeloRevolution) all made the jump to distance themselves from the main bunch.

While that line-up made for a strong group up front, they were not exactly allowed to ride away from the peloton, which was full of aggressive racing. That resulted in the front five being kept on a very tight leash and they had only 50 seconds just past the halfway point of the race.

On the penultimate lap, Wade and Davenport dropped back to the chasing bunch, which always looked like closing up on the leaders, with over 50km remaining. As the three remaining riders in the original breakaway - Murphy, Luke and Kelly - continued to ride and as their gap came down to 30 seconds the attacks were firing off the front of the peloton.

Jason Kenny and Liam Crowley of UCD Cycling Club were active in those moves, as was eventual race winner McDunphy. While McDunphy's first effort was brought back, he continued to try and eventually for clear with junior series leader Killian O'Brien (Orwell Wheelers) went with him.

*Liam Crowley, left, wins the sprint from the four-man chasing group going for 4th place on the day (Photo: Bryan Keane-Inpho)*

They joined forces with the two surviving early breakaway men - Kelly and Luke of UCD. However, the toll of being clear for so long eventually began to show on Kelly and Luke.

McDunphy and young O'Brien, who was putting in a great ride, pulled away from the UCD duo in the final 10km. Once the two series leaders were clear, McDunphy then attack O'Brien to win solo.

Behind him, Kelly managed to catch O'Brien and beat him in the two-up sprint that settled 2nd and 3rd. And just a few seconds behind that duo came a four-rider group sprinting it out for the minor placings. Liam Crowley (UCD Cycling Club) got the verdict, for 4th, in that group from Paul Kennedy (Burren Cycling Club), Jason Kenny (UCD Cycling Club) and Dermot Radford (Black House Racing).

After those, breakaway man Wade was the next to finish, taking 8th place from Murphy and Luke, both of whom had been on the attack with Wade earlier in the race.