Michael O'Loughlin has had some problems of late but it's good to see him back racing, and taking victory. The Irish U23 road race and TT champion, riding for Team Wiggins, claimed the opening stage of the Orwell Wheelers Two Day (Photo: Toby Watson)
Michael O'Loughlin Team Wiggins wins Orwell TT
Having been missing from the peloton in recent months due to injury, Michael O'Loughlin claimed TT victory on home roads today.
The Team Wiggins man is wisely easing himself back into competition. And he won the stage 1 TT of the Orwell Wheelers Two Day.
O'Loughlin was best of the field over an 11km course, which started close to the Beehive Pub near Wicklow Town.
Michael O'Loughlin is the reigning U23 TT champion and was 8th in the Worlds TT as a junior.
It meant while he is race short and has endured a difficult time of late, he was the hot favourite starting this morning.
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The 21-year-old took the win by a margin of 14 seconds. In the runner-up spot was Neill Delahaye (Fixx Rouleurs); the Irish Masters TT champion showing his renowned power is not fading.
Another of the super vets was 3rd in the test; Greg Swinand of Viner-Caremark-Pactimo was 29 seconds off the pace of O'Loughlin.
And then came four elite riders who will pose a real threat in the circuit race and road race to come.
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Darragh McCarter of Donegal Bay Cycling Club has been in great form this year and was 4th in the race against the clock; 31 seconds down on the winner.
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Paul Kennedy (Newcastle West Cycling) was a further 12 seconds adrift. And rounding out the top six, Cian Sutcliffe (Team Gerard-DHL) was 57 seconds off the winner.
This afternoon the riders were set for a kermesse stage 2 - over 10 laps of an 8km circuit. And the race concludes tomorrow with a 108km road race - the action to unfold over four laps of a 27km course.
It's an interesting format that Orwell Wheelers, sponsored by Scott Bicycles, is putting on. The riders are competing for the Noel O'Neill Trophy.
And while anything can happen over the next two legs, O'Loughlin will take beating. He was chasing his father Martin O'Loughlin (Panduit Carrick Wheelers) in the TT.
O'Loughlin senior won the opening stage of the Clonmel stage race last weekend. He's in good form and may be called into team duties in Wicklow this weekend.
June 2-3: Orwell Stage Race
Stage 1: Wicklow Town 11km TT
1 Michael O'Loughlin Team Wiggins 13:30
2 Neill Delahaye Fixx Rouleurs 13:44
3 Greg Swinand Team Viner Caremark Pactimo 13:59
4 Darragh McCarter Donegal Bay Cycling Club 14:01
5 Paul Kennedy Newcastle West Cycling Club 14:13
6 Cian Sutcliffe Team Gerard-DHL 14:27
7 Cian Keogh The Sports Room Racing 14:28
8 Tiit Talumaa St. Tiernans Cycling Club 14:31
9 Paul Forristal Scott Orwell Wheelers Cycling Club 14:33
10 Cian May Lucan Cycling Road Club 14:42
11 Conor Gallagher NRPT 14:46
12 Shay Donley NRPT 14:47
13 Freddie Stevens Scott Orwell Wheelers Cycling Club 14:47
14 Balazs Galambos Scott Orwell Wheelers Cycling Club 14:47
15 Declan Kinch Slipstream Cycling Club 14:51
16 John Hodge Panduit Carrick Wheelers 14:53
17 Matthew Mc Cullagh Sundrive Track Team 14:55
18 michael mcglynn Omagh Wheelers Cycling Club 14:56
19 David Walsh STRATA3/VeloRevolution Racing Team 14:57
20 Aaron Wade Lakeside Wheelers Mullingar CC 15:02
21 Martin O'Loughlin Panduit Carrick Wheelers 15:04
22 Antoine Le Corre UCD Cycling Club 15:06
23 Eoghan McGee NRPT 15:08
24 Declan Maloney The Sports Room Racing 15:08
25 Tomas McCabe Ardee Cycling Club 15:11
26 Denis McCarthy Slipstream Cycling Club 15:13
27 Shane Thomas Baker Lucan Cycling Road Club 15:15
28 Ronan Grimes Scott Orwell Wheelers Cycling Club 15:15
29 Jonathan Taylor Carn Wheelers 15:19
30 Caolem McCarter Donegal Bay Cycling Club 15:24
31 Cahir O'Higgins Scott Orwell Wheelers Cycling Club 15:28
32 Seán Murnane The Sports Room Racing 15:28
33 Martin Colgan Armagh Down CC 15:34
34 Luke Kearney Team Gerard-DHL 15:36
35 Jason Howick Bray Wheelers 15:36
36 Diarmuid Kavanagh Team Gerard-DHL 15:37
37 David Ward Carlow RCC 15:39
38 Colm O Neill Scott Orwell Wheelers Cycling Club 15:40
39 David Coyle UCD Cycling Club 15:40
40 Oisín Doherty Donegal Bay Cycling Club 15:41
41 Mark Heneghan South Dublin CC 15:44
42 Ronan Short South-East Road Club 15:44
43 Neil Hodges O'Leary Stone Kanturk 15:46
44 James Maddock Slaney Cycling Club 15:49
45 Andrew Chivers North Down CC 15:50
46 Ian Murphy Bray Wheelers 15:52
47 Brendan Dunne Slipstream Cycling Club 15:52
48 Conor McKenna UCD Cycling Club 15:53
49 Paul Woods Carlow RCC 15:53
50 Gary Sheehan Navan Road Club 16:01
51 Liam Hanley Lucan Cycling Road Club 16:07
52 Ronan Kearney Un-Attached Leinster 16:09
53 Saran Greene South Dublin CC 16:09
54 Jennifer Bates Team Gerard-DHL 16:12
55 Conor T Farrell Lakeside Wheelers Mullingar CC 16:13
56 Shane Toman Scott Orwell Wheelers Cycling Club 16:18
57 Eoin Bailey Carlow RCC 16:23
58 Fionn Jordan Slaney Cycling Club 16:23
59 Odhran O Caoilte Bray Wheelers 16:24
60 Lara Gillespie Scott Orwell Wheelers Cycling Club 16:32
61 Dylan Traynor AAA Cycling 16:34
62 John O'Shea Carlow RCC 16:34
63 Daithi Marron Lucan Cycling Road Club 16:41
64 Anthony Gahan Limerick Cycling Club 16:42
65 Thomas O'Brien Sundrive Track Team 16:43
66 Keith Larkin Navan Road Club 16:46
67 Edwin Benndorf Lucan Cycling Road Club 16:48
68 Martin Casey Ossory Cycling Club 17:08
69 Ian Lambden Lakeside Wheelers Mullingar CC 17:19
70 Christopher Devine Ratoath Wheelers Road Cycling Club 17:21
71 Yvonne Doran Scott Orwell Wheelers Cycling Club 17:38
72 Andrew Maguire Team Gerard-DHL 18:49
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