Veteran rider Andrew O'Hara went for broke on the final stage of the Gorey Three Day, forcing the Irish Junior Team into an epic chase right down to the wire (Photo: Sean Rowe)
With the Irish Junior Team facing into the final stage of the Gorey Three Day with the yellow jersey on the shoulders of its man Robert O’Leary, it was going to take a special effort to dislodge them.
Some of the juniors in the line-up have won A1 races and their combined efforts were going to be difficult to break on a day when they simply had to neutralise the main challengers.
But veteran rider Andrew O’Hara made them work for it virtually all the way to the line, though O’Leary prevailed overall in the end.
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And junior rider Eoghan McLoughlin of Westport Covey Wheelers took stage 3 with a great late attack.
O’Hara - now living in Holland but back in Ireland to compete for Gorey honours riding for FCA Cycling Team - finished 20 seconds behind stage 1 winner O’Leary at the end of that opener on Saturday.
And while he went on the attack during yesterday’s stage 2 in Gorey, he had to be content with finishing 14th in the sprint to the line.
O'Leary, leading, saw his yellow jersey threatened but he and his team mates pulled together and got the job done (Photo: Sean Rowe)
Though O'Hara is closer to his 50th birthday than his 40th, he animated the final stage.
In doing so he showed he still clearly has the legs and attitude that made him a top A1 road race rider in his day and one of the best time trial men in the country.
He went into the final stage today from Gorey to Blessington in 7th place overall and 28 seconds off the very impressive O’Leary.
And from the very start he was proving a handful as he jumped into several breakaways; a seven-man move that went away in the opening 25km looking especially strong.
But they were caught only for O’Hara to pull clear again with Seamus Kelly (Cadence), Philip O’Flaherty (Swords CC), Con Murphy (O’Leary’s Stone Kanturk), Diarmuid Kavanagh (Dunboyne CC), Ronan Tuomey (Cork Giant) and Paul North (VeloRevolution).
When the gap extended to the one minute marker, veteran O’Hara was yellow jersey on the road.
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Eoghan McLaughlin who won the final stage of the Gorey Three Day with a fantastic late effort. Above, competing in the youth championships last year (Photo: John Coleman – Dc Images)
And back in the main bunch panic was starting to set in, with the Irish Junior Team driving on the front until the gap was back to 40 seconds with 25km remaining to the stage end in Blessington.
And when Tuomey from Cork Giant punctured out of the breakaway, O’Hara’s position was looking even better to snatch overall victory, or so it seemed.
Tuomey had started the day just two seconds down on the Dubliner. And with time bonuses from 10 seconds down available on the finish line, he would have been a real danger man for O’Hara if the break stayed clear with both men in it.
Unfortunately though, when Tuomey went back to the bunch having punctured he assisted with the chase after the escape.
The Irish team was pulling on the front for their leader O’Leary. Tuomey and O’Leary normally ride for the same Cork Giant outfit.
A number of riders in the bunch made great efforts to get across to the breakaway, which was holding the gap at over 33 seconds.
O’Hara’s engine was doing a lot of damage and really sticking it to the Irish juniors who had missed the breakaway.
He went to the front of the lead group and drilled a fierce pace.
Eventually he dropped those he was with and was out front alone driving for his life.
He gained 18 seconds on the escapees he had just dropped and still had 33 seconds on the bunch despite the chasing there mostly being done by the Irish team.
And when everyone between O’Hara and the main bunch was absorbed, it left a drag race between the lone veteran and the combined efforts of the Irish Junior Team.
But with just 3km to the finish and having put up a magnificent ride, O’Hara was caught and O’Leary and his team mates were back on top.
What remained of the bunch hurtled into the finish for what looked set to be a mass sprint.
But with 1km to go it as Eoghan McLoughlin who took the race by the scruff of the neck and underlined that he is one to watch for the future.
He jumped off the front and won the stage for Westport Covey Wheelers.
O’Leary sealed the overall victory and confirmed his place - if confirmation was needed - that he is among the very best of those juniors in contention for national selection during the long season ahead.
More to follow.
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