Paidi O'Brien top of podium again as National Champs loom

Having enjoyed a phenomenal early season which included three wins in the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan, Páidí O'Brien is getting back into the swing of it again. With his final year exams in college complete he can now concentrate on the upcoming national championships (Photo: Brendan Slattery)

By Brian Canty

Páidí O’Brien added another victory to his season tally when he was crowned Cork County Road Race Champion, an event promoted by Fermoy CC.

The Osbourne Meats-McCarthy Cycles rider just edged out junior rider Robert O'Leary with local man David McCarthy (JLT-Condor) crossing the line next in third.

A quality field turned up on a perfect evening on Tuesday night and as the race was only six laps of a six-kilometre loop the attacks came from the drop of the flag.

The aforementioned McCarthy, keen to put on a performance before a watching home following, was particularly aggressive and he was one of around 10 riders who got away in a break early on.

Also in that escape were some very strong riders, including eventual winner O’Brien and his two teammates Michael Crowley and Martin Cashman.

Sean Lacey and John O’Brien of Aquablue were also there, as were Simon Tuomey and Robert O’Leary of Cork Giant, Michael Fitzgerald (Strata3-VeloRevolution) and Dion McCarthy (Zanatta-Lotto).

David McCarthy imposed himself again with around two and a half laps to go and when he attacked he was only followed by O’Brien, Fitzgerald and first-year junior Robert O’Leary.

They weren’t seen again and such was their strong tempo they actually caught the A4 group who had their own separate race.

O’Brien, who won three stages of the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan over Easter was the quickest in the dash, with O’Leary next and McCarthy third.

O’Leary was also the first A3 and first junior on the night and that represents an outstanding result by him.

The bunch trailed behind by about 50 seconds with O’Brien’s teammate Martin Cashman taking the prize for the first A2.

John Twomey and Stephen McCarthy scored a fine 1-2 for the Blarney CC team in the A4 race with Bart Desnarowicz (Midleton CC) rounding out the podium there.