Philip O'Connor (Dungarvan CC) enjoyed a very strong final stage at the Charleville Two Day, where he was among a junior rider breakaway group that really piled pressure on stage 1 winner, and race leader, Michael Collins (Newcastle West CC).
O'Connor got up the road in a strong group, which also feature stage 2 TT winner, Eoghan Lattimore (Dungarvan CC), Toby Sweetman (VC Glendale) and James McKenny (Team Dan Morrissey-Primor by Pissei).
They had bridged across to an initial breakaway group that at one point gained an advantage of four minutes during the 93km stage. That first breakaway, which numbered six riders, broke away shortly after the start, forcing yellow jersey Collins and his team mate, Sam Luke, into chasing mode from the off.
Collins eventually got clear in a chasing group of four riders and they had pegged the leaders back to just 30 seconds at the bottom of the Ballyhoura climb on the second lap. However, Lattimore and Rory Condon (O'Leary Stone Kanturk) attacked from the chasing group, distancing Collins, though he got back on to them.
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When the chasers merged with the initial breakaway, the group came down to just six riders before O'Connor seized the initiative with about 8km to go, attacking solo.
He finished with Sweetman and McKenny; the lead trio crossing the line in that order, with Lattimore in 4th at two seconds. Condon and Collins then finished, 5th and 6th, some 24 seconds down on the winner.
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Some of the other attackers on the day also hung on; Robert McKenna of Bray Wheelers, who crashed while up the road, placing 7th at 57 seconds, with Kevin Leech (Drogheda Wheelers) and Duncan Halliday (Unattched Leinster) in 8th and 9th at 59 seconds.
Mark McGarry (Dungarvan CC) led in the first chasing group on the road, for 10th place, at 1:59.
The gaps up front meant Collins had just about done enough to win the race overall. He had started the stage head of the standings some 27 seconds up on Lattimore, with Barry Meade (O’Leary Stone Kanturk) 3rd at 29 seconds.
And though Lattimore was among the small group to give Collins the slip in the final today, he fell short of taking the final yellow jersey by five seconds, finished 2nd overall.
Sweetman was 3rd overall at seven seconds, with today's stage winner, O'Connor, in 4th at 10 seconds. Two of the other attackers today - McKenny and Condon - were 5trh and 6th overall, at 34 and 38 seconds respectively.
Sept 7th-8th | Charleville Two Day
Stage 3 | Charleville 93km
1 O'Connor, Philip Dungarvan CC (A) 2:22:41 0.0
2 Sweetman, Toby VC Glendale 2:22:41 +00
3 Mc Kenny, James Team Dan Morrissey - Primor by Pissei (A) 2:22:41 +00
4 Lattimore, Eoghan Dungarvan CC (A) 2:22:43 +02
5 Condon, Rory O'Leary Stone Kanturk (A) 2:23:05 +24
6 Collins, Michael Newcastle West Cycling Club (A) 2:23:05 +24
7 Mc Kenna, Robert Bray Wheelers (A) 2:23:38 +57
8 Leech, Kevin Drogheda Wheelers (A) 2:23:40 +59
9 Halliday, Duncan Un-Attached Leinster 2:23:40 +59
10 Mcgarry, Mark Dungarvan CC (A) 2:24:40 +1:59
11 Fitzgerald, Maximilian JEGG-DJR Academy 2:24:40 +1:59
12 Meade, Barry O'Leary Stone Kanturk (B) 2:24:40 +1:59
13 Mc Guinness, Daniel Clondalkin CC 2:24:40 +1:59
14 Byrne, Craig Bray Wheelers (A) 2:24:40 +1:59
15 Flavin, Marcus Dungarvan CC (A) 2:24:40 +1:59
16 Russell, David Upperchurch Drombane Cycling 2:24:40 +1:59
17 Jennings, Rob Lucan Cycling Road Club 2:24:40 +1:59
18 O Kane, Sean Orwell Wheelers Cycling Club (A) 2:24:40 +1:59
19 Byrne, Jamie Carlow RCC (A) 2:24:46 +2:05
20 Butler, Stephen St. Finbarrs CC 2:24:46 +2:05
21 Machado, Ricardo Drogheda Wheelers (A) 2:24:46 +2:05
22 Mcginn, Rory Drogheda Wheelers (A) 2:24:46 +2:05
23 Luke, Samuel Newcastle West Cycling Club (A) 2:24:46 +2:05
24 Gordon, David Castlebar Cycling Club (A) 2:30:05 +7:24
25 Hunter, Ryan O'Leary Stone Kanturk (B) 2:30:41 +8:00
26 Meegan, Cormac Drogheda Wheelers (A) 2:30:43 +8:02
27 Doherty, Frank Killarney Cycling Club 2:30:43 +8:02
28 Murphy, Ben Sliabh Luachra Cycling Club 2:30:43 +8:02
29 Whelan, Niall Kilcullen Cycling Club Murphy Geospacial 2:30:43 +8:02
30 Clarke, Anthony Bray Wheelers (A) 2:30:49 +8:08
31 Dumoulin, Arnaud O'Leary Stone Kanturk (A) 2:30:50 +8:09
32 Lee, Ross Burren Cycling Club (A) 2:30:52 +8:11
33 Tritschler, Jared Greenmount CA (A) 2:34:33 +11:52
34 O Keeffe, Ben Spellman-Dublin Port 2:34:41 +12:00
35 Doran, Brian Carlow RCC (A) 2:34:41 +12:00
36 Boyle, Sean Castlebar Cycling Club (A) 2:34:41 +12:00
37 Power, Zach Panduit Carrick Wheelers 2:34:41 +12:00
38 Hammond, Anthony Castlebar Cycling Club (A) 2:34:45 +12:04
39 Phillips, Jamie All human/VeloRevolution Racing Team 2:34:45 +12:04
40 Horan, Alan Team Dan Morrissey - Primor by Pissei (A) 2:35:11 +12:30
41 Reidy, Robert Kilcullen Cycling Club Murphy Geospacial 2:35:11 +12:30
42 Moore, Eoghan O'Leary Stone Kanturk (A) 2:35:19 +12:38
43 Kelly, Charlie Westport Covey Wheelers Cycling Club 2:35:19 +12:38
44 Brannigan, Fran The Cycologist Clonmel Race team 2:40:02 +17:21
45 Gabuja, Ilie Orwell Wheelers Cycling Club (A) 2:44:41 +22:00
46 Ryan, James Carlow RCC (A) 2:44:41 +22:00
47 Lopes, Ricardo Greenmount CA (A) 2:44:41 +22:00
Final General Classification
1 Collins, Michael (2) Newcastle West Cycling Club (A) 04:35:43 -
2 Lattimore, Eoghan (20) Dungarvan CC (A) 04:35:48 +05
3 Sweetman, Toby (65) VC Glendale 04:35:50 +07
4 O'Connor, Philip (41) Dungarvan CC (A) 04:35:53 +10
5 Mc Kenny, James (55) Team Dan Morrissey - Primor by Pissei (A) 04:36:17 +34
6 Condon, Rory (49) O'Leary Stone Kanturk (A) 04:36:21 +38
7 Halliday, Duncan (34) Un-Attached Leinster 04:37:06 +1:23
8 Mc Kenna, Robert (32) Bray Wheelers (A) 04:37:14 +1:31
9 Leech, Kevin (29) Drogheda Wheelers (A) 04:37:21 +1:38
10 Meade, Barry (6) O'Leary Stone Kanturk (B) 04:37:47 +2:04
11 Fitzgerald, Maximilian (78) JEGG-DJR Academy 04:37:49 +2:06
12 Flavin, Marcus (61) Dungarvan CC (A) 04:37:52 +2:09
13 Jennings, Rob (25) Lucan Cycling Road Club 04:38:00 +2:17
14 Mc Guinness, Daniel (63) Clondalkin CC 04:38:15 +2:32
15 Mcgarry, Mark (36) Dungarvan CC (A) 04:38:16 +2:33
16 O Kane, Sean (35) Orwell Wheelers Cycling Club (A) 04:38:16 +2:33
17 Mcginn, Rory (42) Drogheda Wheelers (A) 04:38:18 +2:35
18 Luke, Samuel (16) Newcastle West Cycling Club (A) 04:38:27 +2:44
19 Russell, David (75) Upperchurch Drombane Cycling 04:38:34 +2:51
20 Machado, Ricardo (37) Drogheda Wheelers (A) 04:38:39 +2:56
21 Byrne, Craig (19) Bray Wheelers (A) 04:38:41 +2:58
22 Byrne, Jamie (1) Carlow RCC (A) 04:38:57 +3:14
23 Butler, Stephen (26) St. Finbarrs CC 04:39:05 +3:22
24 Gordon, David (9) Castlebar Cycling Club (A) 04:44:07 +8:24
25 Murphy, Ben (11) Sliabh Luachra Cycling Club 04:44:07 +8:24
26 Meegan, Cormac (14) Drogheda Wheelers (A) 04:44:14 +8:31
27 Lee, Ross (50) Burren Cycling Club (A) 04:44:23 +8:40
28 Dumoulin, Arnaud (58) O'Leary Stone Kanturk (A) 04:44:25 +8:42
29 Doherty, Frank (47) Killarney Cycling Club 04:44:28 +8:45
30 Hunter, Ryan (72) O'Leary Stone Kanturk (B) 04:44:55 +9:12
31 Clarke, Anthony (38) Bray Wheelers (A) 04:45:10 +9:27
32 Whelan, Niall (39) Kilcullen Cycling Club Murphy Geospacial 04:45:27 +9:44
33 Phillips, Jamie (23) All human/VeloRevolution Racing Team 04:48:21 +12:38
34 Power, Zach (17) Panduit Carrick Wheelers 04:48:22 +12:39
35 Tritschler, Jared (73) Greenmount CA (A) 04:48:31 +12:48
36 Kelly, Charlie (71) Westport Covey Wheelers Cycling Club 04:48:35 +12:52
37 Hammond, Anthony (18) Castlebar Cycling Club (A) 04:48:41 +12:58
38 O Keeffe, Ben (12) Spellman-Dublin Port 04:49:26 +13:43
39 Moore, Eoghan (67) O'Leary Stone Kanturk (A) 04:49:35 +13:52
40 Reidy, Robert (70) Kilcullen Cycling Club Murphy Geospacial 04:51:03 +15:20
41 Brannigan, Fran (21) The Cycologist Clonmel Race team 04:54:11 +18:28
42 Boyle, Sean (3) Castlebar Cycling Club (A) 04:55:27 +19:44
43 Doran, Brian (7) Carlow RCC (A) 04:55:27 +19:44
44 Ryan, James (15) Carlow RCC (A) 04:59:19 +23:36
45 Horan, Alan (5) Team Dan Morrissey - Primor by Pissei (A) 05:03:40 +27:57
46 Gabuja, Ilie (45) Orwell Wheelers Cycling Club (A) 05:05:44 +30:01
47 Lopes, Ricardo (66) Greenmount CA (A) 05:05:50 +30:07
