McKenna and O'Brien crowned kings of Kerry Group Rás Mumhan

Paidi O'Brien romps in for his third stage win in four days at the end of Kerry Group Rás Mumhan (Photo: Brendan Slattery)

By Brian Canty

Paidi O’Brien made it three wins from four at the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan this afternoon when he blasted to glory on the final stage of the race.

The Osbourne Meats/McCarthy Cycles man edged out the UK pair of Dillon Byrne (Champions Systems) and JLT-Condor’s Ed Laverack at the end of today’s 115-kilometre race.

The result wasn’t enough to see any change in the overall as Sean McKenna of the Irish National Team retained the race leader’s yellow jersey.

McKenna sewed the seeds for his win yesterday when he finished second on the stage to Waterville behind Bryan McCrystal of Team ASEA.

That result was enough to put the latter into second starting today’s stage, a mere 11 seconds off the jersey.

And with three of McCrystal’s teammates within 52 seconds of the lead it was no surprise to see them very active all through today.

McCrystal was the most likely to usurp McKenna of the jersey while Roger Aiken, Ali MacAuley and Damien Shaw were all well poised.

Star of the show: Sean McKenna has won the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan today; the biggest victory of his career so far. The Irish Development team rider laid the foundations for his win yesterday and today did what he needed to do to hold onto it. (Photo: Brendan Slattery)

But McKenna was coolness personified this afternoon and as well as his own strong legs he had the help of a superb team in seasoned campaigner Martyn Irvine, Sean Hahessy, Daniel Stewart, Matt Taggart and Conor Hennebry.

Today's action brings to a close a cracking four days of racing where the jersey changed hands twice and was in the balance right up until the final metres.

For McKenna, it’s the biggest win of his career so far as not only did he claim the yellow jersey but he also won the mountains and the U23 classification as well, courtesy of yesterday’s ride.

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Twelve months ago it wasn’t so sweet for the Aquablue CC man as he lost the yellow jersey on the Sunday and would never get it back.

He’s had seven wins this year so far in open road races, plenty of high placings and other top performances but this stage race win is the biggest of his career.

It puts him up there alongside some of the domestic scene’s luminaries and at such a young age it surely only underlines the Dubliner’s potential.

We’ll have plenty more later.