Pocket rocket O'Brien continues amazing winning run in Fermoy

Páidí O’Brien takes the Fermoy CC-promoted Silver Pail GP in Cork this afternoon. It's been a remarkable week for the Osbourne Meats-McCarthy Cycles man who won three stages of the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan last weekend. (Photo: John Coleman of DC Images)

By Brian Canty

Páidí O’Brien has continued his exceptional winning run by taking victory in today’s Silver Pail GP in Fermoy, Co Cork. It was his third time winning the race.

The Osbourne Meats-McCarthy Cycles man won three stages of the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan last weekend and added another win to his season tally today by winning the sprint from a four-man escape that settled the contest.

He bested Stephen Murray (Strata3-VeloRevolution), Sean Hahessy (Fitscience) and John Brosnan (Moda Kingdom Endurance Sports) for victory.

That quartet got away on the first of five 20-kilometre laps and stayed clear to fight out the finish.

In the end, Brosnan was first to blow. That left O’Brien, Murray and Hahessy to contest the sprint.

And though Hahessy tried time and again to shake off the eventual winner, his attempts came to nought.

Murray was second over the line; another strong result by him, following up his top 10 overall at the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan and his runner-up spot to Sean McKenna (Aqua Blue) in the Dungarvan GP a week prior to that.

Conor Hennebry of Carrick Wheelers led in an eight-man chase group that got away on the third lap.