Paidi O'Brien leads the way during this evening's criterium stage of the Suir Valley Three Day when the rain forced the organisers to cancel the stage from a general classification perspective (Photo: Toby Watson)
By Brian Canty
Dave McGowan of the UK-based Champions Systems-VCUK Racing team holds a four second advantage over Ed Laverack (Condor JLT-Mavic) going into tomorrow's final stage of the Suir Valley Three-Day in Clonmel.
This evening’s stage 3 criterium was a complete washout and the organisers took the sensible decision to neutralise the race on safety grounds.
The closed-circuit event was deemed too dangerous to race on with anyone who started being given the same time as the winner, meaning there were no changes to the general classification.
As it transpired, only a handful did finish and it was Luke Grivell-Mellor who came home at the head of a much depleted peloton.
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It’s been a great weekend of racing so far and the scene is set for a thrilling finale tomorrow afternoon as there’s just 1:02 separating the top 10, with six Irish well in contention.
National champion Damien Shaw of Team ASEA ignored medical advice to rest his broken shoulder and he’s lurking with intent in fourth at 19 seconds.
His teammates Ali Macaulay and Chris Reilly are only 16 and 37 seconds off the yellow jersey respectively.
But McGowan and his team look strong and after losing the race on the final day last year through Dillon Byrne they will be keen to make amends.
Luke Grivell-Mellor was one of the few riders to finish this evening's criterium and took victory (Photo: Toby Watson)
McGowan won this morning’s second stage from Laverack after breaking away from the lead group, with the stage win also seeing him lift the yellow jersey from stage 1 winner Colm Cassidy (Aquablue).
The aforementioned Macaulay and Shaw were just a handful of seconds further back on stage 2.
Overnight leader Cassidy slipped back to 10th overall after missing a key split.
But he is still very much in the hunt for the overall, as is his teammate Marcus Christie who lies in fifth.
They will rue the loss of the experienced Aaron Buggle who crashed out midway through the stage.
Stickybottle understand that Buggle has a broken collar bone.
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Cassidy looked awesome on that opening leg yesterday, going clear before the first climb at the 29-kilometre marker, and extending a lead of 30 seconds over the main bunch to more than three minutes by the third and final climb.
Tomorrow’s 123-kilometre final stage is the longest and hardest of the race with the riders set to crest three categorised climbs, finishing on a category one ascent just outside Clonmel.
Stage 3 Criterium, Clonmel
1 GRIVELL-MELLOR Luke JLT Condor Presented by Mavic 38:14
2 TANFIELD Harry JLT Condor Presented by Mavic 0:18
3 MCCARTHY Dion Nicolas Roche Performance Team 0:24
4 DUDLEY Owen Team Isle of Man 0:24
5 MAZZONE Tom Team Isle of Man 0:24
6 O'BRIEN Paidi Team Osbourne Meats McCarthy 0:27
7 MOYNIHAN Cathal Team Aquablue Team 0:27
8 BYRNE Dillon Champion System/VCUK Racing 0:27
9 MARKS Ben Felt Racing 0:29
10 MAES Richard Killarney CC 0:57
11 HENNEBRY Conor Iverk Carrick Wheelers Team "B" 1:30
12 CARPENTER Dante JLT Condor Presented by Mavic 1:30
13 REILLY Dave South Dublin CC 1:55
14 CROWLEY Michael Team Osbourne Meats McCarthy 1:57
15 DOYLE Anthony Strata 3 Velo Revolution 1:57
16 SINNOTT Séamus Wexford Wheelers 1:57
17 GARRY Robin Team Isle of Man 2:06
18 KELLY Robin Waterford Racing Team 2:09
19 FITZGERALD Mehall Clonmel CC 2:24
20 KEARNEY Aaron Iverk Carrick Wheelers Team 2:26
21 POWER Mark Dungarvan Cycling Club 2:26
22 HANRAHAN Declan Iverk Carrick Wheelers Team 2:27
(All finishers listed above)
General Classification after stage 3
1 MCGOWAN Dave Champion System/VCUK Racing “A” 4:44:57
2 LAVERICK Ed JLT Condor Presented by Mavic 0:04
3 MCCAULEY Ali Team Asea 0:16
4 SHAW Damien Team Asea 0:19
5 CHRISTIE Marcus Team Aquablue Team “B” 0:20
6 CARPENTER Dante JLT Condor Presented by Mavic 0:32
7 REILLY Chris Team Asea 4:45:29
8 BAYLIS Sebastian Champion System/VCUK Racing “A” 0:50
9 POWER Mark Dungarvan Cycling Club 0:51
10 CASSIDEY Colm Team Aquablue Team 1:02
11 LACEY Seán Team Aquablue Team “A” 1:17
12 FEELEY Daire Team iTap 1:18
13 GARRY Robin Team Isle of Man A3 1:19
14 KELLY Robin Waterford Racing Team “A” 1:28
15 HENNEBRY Conor Iverk Carrick Wheelers Team “B” 1:31
16 DUDLEY Owen Team Isle of Man 1:33
17 MORTON Eoin UCD Cycling Club 1:38
18 MCAULEY Craig Caldwell Cycles 1:48
19 TANFIELD Harry JLT Condor Presented by Mavic 2:56
20 FOWLES Jonathan Champion System/VCUK Racing 3:38
21 GRIVELL-MELLOR Luke JLT Condor Presented by Mavic
22 BYRNE Dillon Champion System/VCUK Racing
23 BALDWIN Lee Champion System/VCUK Racing 3:41
24 ASHURST Mike Champion System/VCUK Racing 3:42
25 POWER Shane Waterford Racing Team 3:48
26 GATER Keith Waterford Racing Team 4:23
27 HODGE John Dungarvan Cycling Club
28 BROSNAN John Moda Kingdom Endurance Sports
29 MOYNIHAN Cathal Team Aquablue Team 4:33
30 CALLAGHAN Mark Team Aquablue Team 4:40
31 O’BRIEN Paidi Team Osbourne Meats McCarthy 5:03
32 O’LOUGHLIN Michael Nicolas Roche Performance Team 5:04
33 MEANEY Richard Westport Covey Wheelers 5:06
34 DOYLE Anthony Strata 3 Velo Revolution 5:23
35 MAZZONE Tom Team Isle of Man 5:34
36 ARIGAN Craig DID Dunboyne Cycling Club 5:38
37 MCDUNPHY Conn Lucan CC
38 BREHENY Joseph UCD Cycling Club
39 AHEARN Mick Dungarvan Cycling Club 6:12
40 RYAN Fintan DID Dunboyne Cycling Club 6:17
41 MCCARTHY Dion Nicolas Roche Performance Team
42 REILLY Dave South Dublin CC
43 MAES Richard Killarney CC
44 GRAY Jake Nicolas Roche Performance Team
45 O’FLYNN Ronan Galway Bay Cycling Club
46 MARKS Ben Felt Racing
47 PURCELL Cathal Iverk Carrick Wheelers Team
48 MULDOON Caimin Nicolas Roche Performance Team
49 CARNEC Louis Upperchurch Drombane Cycling Club
50 TUOMY Simon Cork Giant Race Team 6:27
51 LYNCH Eoin DID Dunboyne Cycling Club
52 KEARNEY Aaron Iverk Carrick Wheelers Team
53 JONES Alex Champion System/VCUK Racing
54 DUNWORTH Chris Moda Kingdom Endurance Sports
55 MURPHY Stephen Team iTap
56 COLLIS Con UCD Cycling Club 6:32
57 LONG Darragh UCD Cycling Club
58 WHITE Dermot Lucan CC
59 O’SHEA Rónán Team iBike
60 BUSHER Jamie Orwell Wheelers
61 COX Stuart Lakeside Wheelers Mullingar
62 FLETCHER Jamie Team Isle of Man
63 O’NEILL Seamus Carlow Road Cycling Club
64 SUTCLIFFE Cian Lucan CC
65 CROWLEY Michael Team Osbourne Meats McCarthy
66 STEELE Melvin East Tyrone Cycling Club
67 O’LEARY Robert Cork Giant Race Team
68 O’DONNELL Jack Iverk Carrick Wheelers Team
69 ARMSTRONG Adam Team Asea
70 O’CONNELL Eoin Blarney Cycling Club
71 LEECH Conor Clonard Road Club
72 HORGAN John Team Aquablue Team
73 Adrian Lakeside Wheelers Mullingar
74 CULLENShem Iverk Carrick Wheelers Team
75 SINNOTT Séamus Wexford Wheelers 7:03
76 WALSH Enda Waterford Racing Team
77 LEECH Ciaran Clonard Road Club 7:07
78 BALASSI Daniel Adamstown Cycling Team
79 MOTTRAM Michael Felt Racing 7:09
80 HARRISON Barra Cork Giant Race Team 7:10
81 FITZGERALD Mehall Clonmel CC 7:39
82 HANRAHAN Declan Iverk Carrick Wheelers Team 21 8:24
83 CALLANAN Mark Blarney Cycling Club
84 BERGIN Mark Iverk Carrick Wheelers Team 8:26
85 SHANAHAN Stephen Team Asea 9:12
86 BAILEY Darragh Team iTap 10:23
87 JOYCE Derek Galway Bay Cycling Club 10:54
88 CULLINANE Martin Comeragh CC 11:04
89 SCULLY Shane Nenagh CC 12:17
90 WALSH Anthony Team Aquablue Team
91 BLANCHFIELD Jamie Iverk Carrick Wheelers Team 12:26
92 FITZGERALD Michael Strata 3 Velo Revolution 13:05
93 LEEN Alan Blarney Cycling Club 14:29
94 KELLY Aidan Team Bikeworks 15:09
95 LONG Bryan Felt Racing 16:52
96 MCGREEHAN Nathan Cuchulain CC 17:29
97 ENGLISH Bernard Orwell Wheelers 19:39
98 GALAVAN Alan Carlow Road Cycling Club 19:45
99 CUNNINGHAM Derek Team Bikeworks
100 FITZPATRICK John CKR CC 20:05
101 WALSH David Castlebar CC 20:13
102 MERRIMAN Daniel Waterford Racing Team
103 BYRNE Gerry Waterford Racing Team 25:03
104 CAMPBELL GROGAN Ross Lucan CC 25:22
105 DAVENPORT James DID Dunboyne Cycling Club 25:30
106 BORDY David Team iTap 25:38
107 O’SHEA John Carlow Road Cycling Club 26:25
108 QUINN Shane Lakeside Wheelers Mullingar 26:53
109 CANTY Brian Liquidwork-Fitscience-Coleman Electr. 27:56
110 O’DONOGHUE Shane Waterford Racing Team 28:17
111 CREAN Kieran Blarney Cycling Club 28:19
112 JEFFERS Gary East Tyrone Cycling Club 28:22
113 MIZGAJSKI Marcin Waterford Racing Team 32:57
114 DOYLE Barry East Tyrone Cycling Club
115 LUCEY Michael Strata 3 Velo Revolution 35:22
116 O’MALLEY Terry UCD Cycling Club 38:11
117 O’SHEA Michéal E Killorglin Cycling Club 41:43
118 MAYE Alan Clonard Road Club 42:30
119 O’CONNELL John Cork Tri Club 45:52
120 O’KEEFFE Leonard Team Osbourne Meats McCarthy 47:33
121 CROWLEY Aidan Strata 3 Velo Revolution 47:49
122 TUBRIDY Fergal Blarney Cycling Club 52:50
123 ALLISON Darren Upperchurch Drombane Cycling Club 54:51
124 O’BRIEN Davy Waterford Racing Team 1:01:59
125 LYONS John-Paul South Dublin CC
126 GROOME Trevor Upperchurch Drombane Cycling Club 1:02:35
127 FAY Andrew CKR CC
128 KENEALY Pat Dungarvan Cycling Club
129 BALWIN Jacob Clonard Road Club
130 POWER Finbarr Comeragh CC 1:02:37
Other Classifications
Points Classification: Dave McGowan (Champion System-VCUK Racing)
Climbers Classification: Chris Reilly (Team Asea)
Hot Spot Classification: Garry Robin (Team Isle of Man)
Cat 2 Classification: Mark Power (Dungarvan CC)
Cat 3 Classification: Garry Robin (Team Isle of Man)
Most Aggressive Rider: Dante Carpenter (JLT Condor)
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