McKenna holds off peloton’s late charge to complete early season hatrick

Stevie McKenna takes the Carn Classic (Photo: Cycling Ulster/ Florence Millar)

Stevie McKenna has made it three wins on the trot in as many weeks, using his sprint finish to great effect today, Sunday, to win the Carn Classic ‘A’ race at Tobermore, Co Derry.

The Omagh Wheelers rider got away in a late two-man escape and just about stayed clear of the closing bunch at the finish. He adds today’s victory to his win last weekend in the PJ Logan Cup in Coalisland and his triumph in the McCann Cup in Omagh two weeks ago.

”I’m just delighted to be back racing after a break of six years, so to get these results in the past few weeks is the icing on the cake for,” McKenna told stickybottle.

”Behind me, the bunch was really closing in and in the end it was my team mate Marc Potts who got second after winning Cicli Grand Prix yesterday. He’s only just changed over to the road from downhill mountain biking so getting a 1-2 with him is incredible.”

McKenna (34) was part of the 20-strong A1/A2 group that started today’s race - six-laps of the Wood Rd circuit – three minutes behind the estimated 60-strong A3 group. While the scratch riders got organised early, it was not until around the halfway point that they finally caught the leaders in the Carn Wheelers promoted race.

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By that stage a breakaway had clipped up the road and had around 1:15 on the peloton. That escape included some very promising teenagers, namely juniors Cormac Clarke (Newry Wheelers) and Conor McAteer (Bann Valley). Also there was U16 rider Mark Downey (Banbridge) who had been given special permission to ride with the seniors today.

Behind the breakaway, the peloton was very active with lots of attacking gradually pegging the leaders back until they were absorbed by the large bunch. It wasn’t until the race was nearing the finish that what would prove to be the winning move finally got clear.

Jonathan Dempsey (East Antrim), who had been very active off the front earlier, jumped the bunch and got a small gap with around two miles remaining. Stevie McKenna sensed Dempsey had a chance of making it all the way and attacked after him, with the duo dangling off the front of the bunch.

With around 500 metres to go, and the bunch just about to catch the two leaders, McKenna kicked to open his sprint early, immediately distancing Dempsey on the uphill finishing straight into the headwind.

He made it to the line with the head of the bunch just a couple of lengths back. Dempsey was caught by the first riders in the bunch and in the end had to settle for seventh. Potts won the bunch sprint and was second behind the on-a-roll McKenna. Joby Holman (Phoenix CC) was third and junior Cormac Clarke (Newry Wheelers) was still able to manage fourth despite being in the day’s early move from the A3 bunch.

The A4 race saw a lot of attacking but nothing that was committed or powerful enough to split the field. The finish came down to a bunch sprint with Clifford Blayney (North Down) taking the win ahead of Michael Doherty (North Pole CC), with Sean McCann (Island Wheelers) in third.