After a very competitive race, Paul Kennedy was out on his own; adding the Munster road crown to the criterium title he has already collected this year. He also took silver in the provincial TT championships, and a bronze in the elite TT at the National Championships; a very tidy set of medals (Photo: Sean Rowe)

Paul Kennedy crowned Munster champion from quality field

Paul Kennedy has won the elite men’s crown at the Munster Road Race Championships in Blarney, Co Cork.

And the Newcastle West men beat some of the best riders in the country to take the title.

He topped a final podium that included Conor Hennebry (Viner-Caremark-Pactimo) and national criterium champion Dillon Corkery (Gerard-DHL).

Agnieszka Wozniak of Cork County won the women’s championships from Nessa Rochford (De Ronde Van Cork) and Niamh O'Dwyer (TC Racing).

In the men’s race the riders faced ten laps of a 10km circuit that brushed the outside of Blarney each time.

And with some very strong men in the field the start was frantic. That pressure saw the first selection forge clear after the climb on the opening lap.

And in that group were some of the strongest riders on the home scene this year.

Eoin O’Connell was present, riding in the colours of the hosts Blarney Cycling Club, as was Kennedy.

Eventual medal winners Hennebry and Corkery were also there along with Daryl Kearns (Panduit Carrick Wheelers) and the always dangerous Paidi O’Brien (Gerard-DHL).

Hennebry’s team mate Aaron Kearney also made the move as did Conor Kissane of Killarney CC and James Davenport of Strata 3-VeloRevolution.

The leaders combined well and soon built a gap of 1:30 over the coming laps. The escape was soon trimmed back from nine men to seven; Kearns and Kearney losing contact.

With the lead group staying honest until lap eight when it became more tactical, the gap jumped out to four minutes.

While the attacks began on that eight lap, it wasn’t until closer to the finish that the decisive move went.

Kennedy would jump the breakaway with one lap remaining and his move would prove the winning of the race.

Related News

Lara Gillespie attacks Dolomite stage as Giro hits high mountains

Video - Ireland's Meehan climbs with best on brutal Alpine terrain

As he pulled out a gap of about 30 seconds on the final lap, Hennebry attacked in a bid to bridge over to the lone leader.

However, Paul Kennedy has been flying of late and he had enough in the tank to win solo.

He adds the road race crown to the gold he won in the Munster criterium championships in Limerick earlier this month.

The former hurler turned cyclist also claimed silver in the provincial TT title race; beaten only by Michael O’Loughlin of Team Wiggins.

Behind him today, Hennebry took the silver with Corkery coming home to take the bronze medal.

Brendan Talty of Burren CC would take the A2 gold. Shane O’Connell of Blarney won the A3 title on home ground.

Jason Kenny (Comeragh CC) claimed the junior champs with John Hodge (Panduit Carrick) the Masters 40 champion.

In the Masters 50 and 60 races; Tom Shanahan of Limerick CC and Sean McIlroy of Panduit Carrick went home with golds.

Panduit Carrick Wheelers took the senior team title. Comeragh, with many emerging young riders, won the junior team crown. And Waterford Racing are Masters team champions.