Michael Crowley wins Donal Crowley Memorial in Blarney; Cathal O'Donovan takes A4

Michael Crowley of Planet Tri (photo above by Karen M Dunne) has taken victory in the Donal Crowley Memorial in Blarney today; a race in memory of his late uncle.

By Brian Canty

Michael Crowley has pulled off a memorable win for himself and his family with victory in the Donal Crowley Memorial in Blarney, Co Cork; a race in honour of his late uncle who was himself regarded was a very strong rider but lost his life in a road traffic accident.

Today’s winner, who was an A4 this time last month, put in one of the best rides of his career to win the race when he beat James Pittam (Cork County) from a two-up sprint.

And Crowley’s Planet Tri team had further reason to celebrate when Paidi O’Brien took third following his runner-up place at the Blarney crit last night, Saturday

Today's victor, Crowley started the handicap event in the A3 bunch, with that group given two and a half minutes on the A2s, who in turn were given a similar amount on the A1 scratch men.

But with just nine A1 riders signing on — international triathlete Bryan Keane among them - it was a big ask for them to claw back a group of approximately 30 A2s. The A3 group was the biggest on the day and set off with great purpose, determined not to be caught without making those behind work hard for it.

Unsurprisingly, the Blarney contingent was active up front with Kieran Crean taking the KOH at Nad after around one third of the race. But with two of their strongest riders – Liam Ryan and Robert Forrest - sidelined because of recent crashes, Blarney’s chances of a home win were reduced from the outset.

While the A3s set about their task of driving their group along, the A2 bunch did not ride with the same intensity and by the KOH at Nad they were caught by the A1s, of whom Richard Hooton (Visit Nenagh DMG), Michael Fitzgerald (Fermoy CC) and Paidi O’Brien (Planet Tri) were the most active.

The A1s were reduced to seven when one rider was dropped and another punctured. But to their credit, they rode hard onwards and formed a good group on the descent off Nad. And along with the A2 men they went in pursuit of the A3s up ahead.

Barry Meade (Planet Tri) showed his class when he drilled it with Ryan O’Donovan (Cork County) to reduce the gap; Meade saying after the race his goal was to haul O’Brien up the road.

With Dylan Foley (NRPT), Dylan O’Brien (Kanturk) and Stephen Shanahan (Limerick CC) all riding well in the front group, there was plenty of firepower up there. All the while Crowley, who won the A4 event at the Corkman over the May Bank Holiday weekend, was minding his matches and waiting for his moment. And with 3 kilometres to go, he attacked and took Pittam with him, dropping the others.

Behind, O’Brien had just managed to get onto the back of the A3 bunch, and with Meade for company he worked himself up to the front. Meade crashed with 800metres to go, ruling him out of the finishing sprint for third, which O'Brien would win.

The A4 race went to Cathal O’Donovan (Blarney CC), a man new to road racing but with a very good pedigree in endurance events, having represented Ireland in duathlon. The west Cork man edged out Niall Ryan from Bandon, while Tom Daly (Kanturk CC) - who wrote the history of the Rás - rounded out the podium.

Meanwhile, after last night’s crash at the Blarney crit, it has emerged Robert Forrest damaged his A/C joint, Matt Slattery (Killarney CC) broke his scaphoid and Bryan Long (Unattached) suffered ear lacerations.