Paidi O'Brien on the double in Carrick, though Dylan Foley puts quality field under pressure

Business as usual: Paidi O'Brien won Rás Luimni and the Carrick Cup within a week last year and he's done the same this year, storming to victory by a huge margin in Carrick yesterday after opening his 2014 account in Limerick last weekend (Photo: www.blackumbrella.ie)

By Brian Canty

Paidi O’Brien has made it two wins in as many weekends when he sprinted to victory in yesterday’s feature race in Carrick-on-Suir, following up his first victory of 2014 at Rás Luimni last weekend.

The Osbourne Butchers-Edge Sports Shop man was quickest on the uphill drag to the line yesterday, seeing off the best efforts of a field numbering more than 150 riders to take the Bobby Power Memorial Cup.

Martin Mijgayski (Barrow Wheelers) was second and Anthony ‘Zippy’ Doyle (Velo Revolution) rounded out the podium.

O’Brien took the win on the same day last year and though he was clearly the man to watch in the run in yesterday, no one had the legs to match him as he pulled out a huge winning margin.

However, it was Aquablue rider Dylan Foley who put in a huge effort to try and win the race, after a strong run in the early season that has seen him on the podium several times.

Foley, a Leaving Cert student and first-year espoir, almost took what would have been his first elite win when he took off alone on the final lap and built himself a lead of around 35 seconds.

He held that gap for much of the last 15 kilometres and with a kilometre to go he still had clear daylight on the bunch behind.

But a combination of some furious attacking in the group behind and the punishing drag up to the finish got the better of him and he was cruelly reeled in within sight of the line as the peloton gobbled him up.

O’Brien paid tribute to Foley’s ride.

“What an effort that was,” the winner said after the race.

“People say racing in Ireland is negative or whatever but there’s nothing at all wrong with it if fellas are willing to have a go like that. He has an unbelievable kick in him and really put a lot of fellas under pressure today.”

Foley’s team had been in every move throughout the race – run over the usual three 30-kilometre laps - while UCD were just as aggressive, flinging men up the road at every opportunity.

However, despite all that attacking, no move really gained any significant time. As well as the aggression from Aquablue, UCD had the strength in depth to do the same, with Eoin Morton and Ian Richardson amongst their number.

A few times both teams had men up the road and it looked like the break of the day had gone. But the efforts of many strong riders in the field saw those moves clawed back.

That left the way for O’Brien to do what he does best and lash up the finishing drag to demolish the others in the sprint.

Foley said afterwards that while a few riders tried to bridge to him after he got a gap on the bunch, he wanted to keep the hammer down rather than wait.

“I was able to keep it around 47-48(kph) on the flat and the gap went out to about 20 seconds and stayed at that for about 10k,” he said.

“I knew once I could get over the drags that I wouldn't be too far off it. But the bunch started to accelerate coming towards the finish. They could see me and they opened up the sprint fairly early on the bottom of the drag. I'd say with 400 metres to go I was caught, shit happens.

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“I can't really complain, it could have paid off but it didn't. I've worked hard, I've learnt a lot from the lads already and it's great.

“I don't want to be in a team where I'm the big fish because everything is on you but it's great to have a crop who are always up there and any of us can win.”

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The main race was neutralized on the second lap when a rider from the A3 race fell and required the assistance of ambulance personnel who placed him in a neck brace as a precaution.

At the time of writing it is understood he has suffered a broken collar bone but credit must be given to commissaires Gary McIlroy and Phil O’Brien for taking the swift and correct course of action of temporarily stalling the main race.

The A3 race was a thrilling affair which also ended in a bunch sprint. The old dog for the hard road, Martin O’Loughlin of the host club went one better than a day previous in Blarney when he was bested by son and first-year junior Michael O’Loughlin to the win.

O’Loughlin Snr won the gallop from fellow fast men Mark Gater (Waterford Racing Team) - upgraded overnight - and promising underage talent Dion McCarthy (O’Leary’s Stone Kanturk CC).

O’Loughlin waited and waited on the drag up to the finish. He then kicked superbly, catching a five-man escape that had threatened to spoil the party and had 20 seconds with around 700 metres still to go; giving some indication of how hard the final metres really are.

The A4 race was dominated by the Dungarvan duo John Hodge and Damien Travers who completed a fine 1-2, with Paul O’Reilly (Fixx Roulers) rounding out the podium.