Fermoy CC''s Mick Fitzgerald took a great win in tough conditions in Cobh, Co Cork, today (Photo: www.blackumbrellaphotography.com)
Mick Fitzgerald (Fermoy CC) has won his second Leahy Cup title in three years after he beat off the challenge of breakaway companions Eddie Dunbar (O’Leary’s Stone Kanturk) and Sean Lacey (Aquablue) yesterday, Sunday.
In horrendous weather conditions, Fitzgerald bided his time before making his race-winning move up to the steep finish, with Dunbar coming over the line next, followed by Lacey and a reduced bunch thereafter.
In fact, just 27 riders signed on for the main event of the day, and even after the opening lap they dropped out one after another, with just 13 confirmed finishers.
The race, a 10-lap course featuring a 2-3 kilometre climb, was always going to test the riders and when you factor in that parts of that climb reached 17-18 per cent in places, a break was always going to rule the day.
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And so it proved, with a six-man move forming after around four laps.
Initially, Ryan O’Donovan (Cork County CC) escaped with defending champion Lacey and they were joined by Dunbar and Fitzgerald.
But the group swelled further when Simon Ryan (DMG Visitnenagh.ie) and Eoin Greene (Iverk Produce Carrick Wheelers) joined them to make it a six-strong break and they worked well together, pulling out significant time on those behind.
O’Donovan punctured out of the break and never got back and then Ryan was distanced from the escape, leaving just three up front.
He was swept up by the remnants of the race, who were over four minutes back.
Lacey missed last week’s Rás Clár, opting instead to train for the Nationals next weekend, while Fitzgerald raced and finished runner-up, clearly indicating he had good form from the Rás last month.
And on the climb up to the finish, Fitzgerald was unstoppable, leaving Dunbar and Lacey trailing in his wake for his first win of the season.
Dunbar was next – he was again given a dispensation by Cycling Ireland to race as he prepares for the upcoming Junior Tour.
Dylan Foley was also allowed race and after a period of two weeks rest, the Nicolas Roche Performance Team man put in solid display, notching seventh behind High Mulhearne and Cathal Moynihan who both crossed the line on their own.
In the A3 event, local man Dylan O’Brien (O’Leary’s Stone Kanturk) won from Stephen Shanahan (Limerick CC) after they had broken clear of the peloton on the opening lap.
O’Brien, whose father John is well known and rides with the Ballymore club, was untouchable. Despite a strong field of over 50 riders, he jumped away on lap one. He only had a few seconds after that first lap, but he and Shanahan worked up and over all day and for the remaining five laps they pulled out more and more of a gap, with nobody else able to bridge across.
The A4 event went to Mark Radley of Dungarvan CC after he got the better of Bandon’s Tom Hanrahan and Damien Twohig of West Cork CC.
Radley had shown some good form in his home race in Dungarvan in late May, and the uphill finish there obviously stood to him when he timed his effort and zipped away from those closest to him with the hill at its steepest.
Leahy Cup, Cobh, Co Cork
A1/A2 Race:
1 Mick Fitzgerald (Fermoy CC)
2 Eddie Dunbar (O’Leary’s Stone Kanturk CC)
3 Sean Lacey (Aquablue)
4 Eoin Greene (Iverk Produce Carrick Wheelers)
5 Hugh Mulhearne (Iverk Produce Carrick Wheelers)
6 Cathal Moynihan (Tralee Manor West)
7 Dylan Foley (NRPT- Standard Life)
8 Simon Ryan (Visit Nenagh DMG)
Unplaced A2
1 John Mannix (Killarney CC)
2 Laurent Dumoulin (O’Leary’s Stone Kanturk CC).
A3 Race
1 Dylan O’Brien (O’Leary’s Stone Kanturk)
2 Stephen Shanahan (Limerick CC)
3 Conor Trihy (Comeragh CC)
4 Michael McLean (Unatt)
5 Michael Crowley (Planet Tri Racing)
6 James Pittam (Cork County CC)
7 David McCarthy (NRPT-Standard Life)
8 Michael Martin (Coachford CC)
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9 Dermot Gough (Dungarvan CC)
10 David Whitty (Barrow Wheelers).
A4 Race
Mark Radley (Dungarvan CC)
2 Tom Hanrahan (Bandon CC)
3 Damien Twohig (West Cork CC)
4 AJ Murphy (Midleton CC)
5 David Williams (West Cork CC)
6 Barry Walsh (Cork County CC)
7 David Sheehan (Visit Nenagh DMG)
8 A Quinn (Blarney CC).
Youth Races
U16 Race
1 Michael O’Loughlin (Iverk Produce Carrick Wheelers)
2 Sean Yelverton (Limerick CC)
3 Dion McCarthy (Unatt.)
4 Seamus Sinnott (Wexford Wheelers)
5 Robert O’Leary (Cork County CC)
6 Shane Moloney (O’Leary’s Stone Kanturk).
Unplaced U15: Odhran Stynes (Wexford Wheelers).
U14 Race
1 Ronan Twomey (Cork County CC)
2 Tom Knight (O’Leary’s Stone Kanturk)
3 Emily Birchall (Unatt.)
4 Dillon Corkery (O’Leary’s Stone Kanturk)
5 Adrian Keohane (Fermoy CC)
6 Conrad Gray (O’Leary’s Stone Kanturk).
Unplaced U13: Evan O’Donnell (Limerick CC).
First girl: Laura Cooke
U12 Race
1 Eoin Birchall (Unatt)
2 Denis Murphy (O’Leary’s Stone Kanturk)
3 Laura Birchall (Unatt.)
4 Fionn Desmond (Galtee Wheelers)
5 Cormac O’Brien ( O’Leary’s Stone Kanturk)
6 Darragh O’Doherty (O’Leary’s Stone Kanturk).
Unplaced U11: Jack Lupton (Ossory CC).
First girl: Orla Desmond (Galtee Wheelers).
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