Orwell Two Day: Paul Forristal of the promoting club Orwell Wheelers has won stage 2 but Paul Kennedy still leads with one stage to go (Photo: Sean Rowe)
Having proven a happy hunting ground last year when he took the overall victory, Paul Forristal has claimed a stage in the Orwell Two Day today.
The promoting club man got clear in a breakaway on stage
2; attacking it and finishing the job in a two-up sprint at the finish after
80km.
However, the yellow jersey remains on the shoulders of
Paul Kennedy; the Foran Cycling Club man having won the morning 11km TT opening
stage.
Forristal didn’t perform quite as well as expected this
morning in the test. His tenth place on the stage was solid.
But the 1:14 he gave away to winner Kennedy left him with
a mountain to climb in the overall.
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In the afternoon circuit race stage, some 10 laps of 8km
course in the Kilbride area, the winning escape went around the halfway point.
Forristal was in that group with Colm Sheahan (Blarney
Cycling Club), Conor Murnane (UCD Cycling Club), James Davenport (Strata
3-VeloRevolution), Ronan Killeen (Lucan CRC), Mark Smith (Ciclotel Travel
fueled by YPB) and David Brody (Castlebar CC).
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They combined well together and pulled out a decent gap
over the next three laps.
However, on the last lap Forristal attacked on the climb
and was joined by Smith. They forged clear of the other breakaway men, getting
about 10 seconds.
Coming to the finish line, Forristal led it out from a
long way but had the goods to keep it going and take the win from Smith.
Murnane then rounded out the podium from Killeen, Brody,
Davenport and Sheahan with Ryan Geraghty (Bikeworx) taking 8th.
However, while the breakaway survived to fight for the stage victory, they did not gain enough time on those behind to dislodge Kennedy from yellow; the Foran CC man losing one minute.
He still leads, with tomorrow’s final stage to come, by
13 seconds from Murnane with Forrista next at 14 seconds.
Then comes TT runner-up; junior Kevin McCambridge
(Vitus-Chill-NRPT), in 4th place at 17 seconds.
Brody is 5th at 25 seconds followed by Cian Keogh
(Ciclotel Travel YPB) at 26 seconds.
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