Rampant Fraser Duncan picks Daniel Stewart's pockets to win cliff-hanger Tour of Ards

Fraser Duncan taking victory this afternoon in the Tour of Ards in Newtownards from Daniel Stewart to add to his wins in the John Moore Memorial and Red Hand Trophy in recent weeks (Photo: Marian Lamb - Cycling Ulster)

Fraser Duncan has continued his dream start to the season by taking victory in the Tour of Ards this afternoon from an escape group that contained some of the biggest names in Irish cycling.

The Northern CC-Dave Kane man has been rampant since the flag dropped on the new campaign just over a month ago, adding his victory today to his two other wins already this year.

The strongman won the Red Hand Trophy in Ballymena this day last week and the John Moore Memorial in Carryduff in Co Down two weeks earlier.

He was no less impressive in taking the win in Newtownards today, but spare a thought for Daniel Stewart of East Antrim Audi. His impressive solo bid for glory just fell short when Duncan caught him on the line, relegating him to 2^nd after he had animated the finale.

Coming towards the finish, the winning breakaway numbered six, made up of Mark Kane and Duncan (both Northern CC-Dave Kane), Stewart (East Antrim Audi), Peter Hawkins (Madison Genesis), Ronan McLaughlin (Dig Deep-Inspired Cycling) and Conor McConvey (Synergy Baku).

Stewart was to put on a very strong display, jumping clear of the six on the final stages but just as it looked like he may hang on, he was hunted down and passed on the line by the victorious Duncan.

How it unfolded

The race began very aggressively, with the first real move from the early exchanges moving clear and building a lead of around 50 seconds some 16 miles into the race. It contained Hawkins, Stewart, Kane, Alastair Macauley (Phoenix CC) and Newry Wheelers man Des Woods.

The gap remained just under the one minute mark for a considerable period, with a group of 11 riders forming behind and hunting down those men up front.

At around the 45 mile mark both groups have fractured, with some of those up front being dropped and some in the chase group getting back to the head of the race.

Des Woods was to puncture while he was still clear with the leaders. Peter Hawkins suffered the same bad luck a little later and after the strongest men of the initial escape and the chase group had formed into what would prove the winning breakaway.

Macauley was also to get a flat as he was giving a very good account of himself up front.

With around 45 miles done, the lead group numbered seven men; Kane, Duncan, Stewart, Hawkins after his puncture, McLaughlin, McConvey and East Antrim Audi’s Gary Cranston.

They had a lead of 1:50 on around 10 chasers, with the race now clearly going to be decided in a battle between the leaders.

As he was looking good in the escape, Cranston punctured from it at a time when the gap had pulled out to 2:25. With the racing now very much in the business end of the day, he chased for a long time on his own but unfortunately never got back on terms with the leaders.

The thoughts of the breakaway men were starting to turn to how the race would be won and it was veteran Kane who put in the first really dangerous looking attack from the leading six inside the last 10 miles.

He was joined by young Stewart, less than half the age of his Olympian breakaway companion.

However they were reeled in by the quartet just behind containing McConvey, Hawkins, Duncan and McLaughlin, leaving it six up front once again as they raced through Greyabbey with around six miles to go.

Related News

Lara Gillespie attacks Dolomite stage as Giro hits high mountains

Video - Italy's hero Balsamo mobbed mid-stage during Giro TT

Inside four miles remaining and it was Stewart, clearly feeling strong, who had another go; this time on his own.

He immediately pulled out a lead of between 10 and 15 seconds as Kane was now in trouble and lost contact with the escape.

With two miles to go, Stewart was still hanging out there on his own but his gap was dropping; first to 10 seconds and then down to just five. Kane managed to claw his way back on as McConvey hunted down the lone leader and they all hurtled towards the final kilometre.

But a very determined Stewart was hanging on, booting it for the line. And just as he looked like he was going to upstage a breakaway of most of the North’s biggest names, it was that man Fraser Duncan who pounced from behind.

In the charge to the line he caught the leader and picked Stewart’s pocket for this latest victory of 2014, having looked very strong all day in first getting into the winning move and then helping drive it for home.

U23 international Stewart at least had the consolation of holding on for 2^nd place. And while disappointed, he travelled home in the knowledge there was little else he could have done and that he took the fight to a group of very strong riders and got the better of all but one.