Prendergast in the clear at Loughrea GP; Campbell takes ‘B’ race

Wrecked but happy: Charlie Prendergast (Cunga) takes the flag first in Galway

Charlie Prendergast (Cunga Bikes) has taken the main race at the Scott Loughrea GP in Co Galway, emerging clearly strongest from the two-man escape that forged ahead in the closing stages.

The combined A1/A2/A3 race today, Sunday, was an 85km handicapped event, with the A3s getting a five minute starting advantage over the combined A1/A2 scratch group.

The limit men worked very well together over the first three laps and proved successful at holding the chasers at bay for a long time.

Emerging junior rider Thomas Fallon from the host club Silver Springs CC made a number of solo moves off the front. However, while he looked as strong today as he has done in recent weeks, with nobody else either willing or able to go with him he was brought back each time.

Behind, the A1/A2 group was gradually whittling down the lead and by the end of the fourth lap then finally managed to catch what had proven to be a pretty dogged A3 group.

Once the merger was made, the attacking started in earnest as the large group hurtled in the road towards the finish.

It was Galway Bay CC’s Eoghan Clifford who made the decisive move, opening up a decent gap with around 5km remaining in the 85km event. Charlie Prendergast clearly spotted the danger and wasn’t long about jumping across to the leader, with the pair then working well together in their effort to hold off the peloton.

With around 2km remaining it was Prendergast who took the initiative, attacking his fellow escapee and arriving at the finish to savour victory on his own. Just behind him Clifford held off everyone else to take a well deserved second place, while Barry Holihan (Western Lakes CC) won the sprint for third.

In the A4 race there was plenty of attacking over the 51kms of action, but in the end a large group arrived at the finish together for a bunch sprint won by Rowan Campbell (Galway Bay CC) from Eamon Harte (Shannonside CC) and Donal Harrington (Western Lakes).

(See some photos below the results.)