Paidi O'Brien continues winning run by taking John Drumm Cup victory from Keith Gater

Paidi O'Brien on his way to winning the Drumm Cup in Currow, Co Kerry (Photo: Pat Doherty)

By Brian Canty

Páidí O’Brien has taken yet another win after he claimed victory in the John Drumm Cup in Currow, Co Kerry, today.

The Planet-Tri rider got the better of Aquablue’s Keith Gater after they had broken away from a six-man move after five of seven laps and duelled it out to the finish.

The win clearly underlines the form O’Brien is in at present, but it has emerged that he’ll not travel to next weekend’s Tour of Ulster as he has exams coming up. It is unknown when he will race again, having already decided he won’t ride the An Post Rás, again because of exams.

Today’s race was active from the gun, with several riders jumping clear only to be hauled back by an aggressive peloton.

Eventually, the elastic snapped when a three-man move involving Keith Gater managed to escape and get 30 seconds but that was negated and by lap three, it was all back together.

Visit Nenagh’s Denis Dunworth was another to try his luck and the former An Post-Sean Kelly academy rider succeeded in getting up the road, with four more, including Eddie Barry (Planet Tri) for company. But again, that group, was pulled back.

Finally, the decisive group slipped away around the halfway mark, with Olan Barrett (Aquablue), Gater (Aquablue), former winner Mick Fitzgerald (Fermoy CC) and Eddie Barry (Planet Tri) in the move.

They worked well together but were soon joined by Thomas Fallon (Vaconsoleil) and Paidi O’Brien (Planet Tri) to make it six out front and they proceeded to widen the gap, chiefly due to the two main players being represented in the move.

With two laps to go, Gater and O’Brien jumped away and pulled out a gap of just over 30 seconds. And with the four behind reluctant to chase, they stayed away to the end, with O’Brien doing what he does best when the finishing line comes into view.

The A3 race was another stop-start affair with Dylan Foley taking the win from Eddie Dunbar (O’Leary’s Stone Kanturk) with Robert Forrest (Blarney) in third.

Foley, who will go to the Corkman next weekend as one of the favourites, missed the original break - as did Dunbar - but they worked their way across.

And after recovering from that effort, Foley went again and got a gap, with only Dunbar capable of staying with him.

Dunbar tried to shake off Foley on the run-in to the finish but the powerful Foley had too much and just like in Fermoy at the start of the month, he took the sprint.

The A4 race went to Fergal Daly of O’Leary’s Stone Kanturk with Greg Whelan (Killarney CC) in second and Tony Cullen (Iverk Produce Carrick Wheelers) rounding out the podium.

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