Paul Kennedy has taken victory in the main event at the Bobby Power Memorial race in Carrick-on-Suir today. Kennedy (41) had too much for his breakaway companions in the main event and took the honours after a seven-rider escape group went clear and dominated the race.
He adds his victory today to the runner-up spot he took at Rás Luimní in Co Limerick last Sunday when he was beaten in a two-up sprint by Conor Hennebry (Dan Morrissey-Pactimo) after they had gotten clear of the breakaway.
Today Kennedy went early in the sprint to the line and had enough in the tank to hold off Cillian Murphy of Galway Bay CC and Jason Kenny of UCD Cycling Club, who were 2nd and 3rd respectively.
The race began with a concerted effort in the A1 group to close down the 1:30 handicap the A2s have been given in the race, which was six laps of a 20km circuit. The catch was made around the midway point on the second lap, with a period of attacks then unfolding.
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Eventually the winning seven-man breakaway formed out front featuring Kennedy, Murphy and Kenny along with Conor Hennebry (Dan Morrissey-Pactimo) and Tim O'Regan (All human-VeloRevolution). Also present in that group were two of Kennedy's Burren CC team mates, Mark Shannon and Jarlath Hassett.
Once they were clear the breakaway combined well for the next two laps and had a gap of about 1:45 when the attacks began again up front. And at that point of the race Burren CC began to press their numerical advantage by launching attacks and counter moves.
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That forced the others in the breakaway to repeatedly respond and close gaps, though the breakaway stayed intact all the way to the finish. Once the line came into sight, Kennedy struck out for home very early on the uphill finish but had the legs to finish the job and win comfortably.
Today's breakaway ride by the three Burren CC' riders continued the strong start to the 2022 campaign for the club. It not only racked up a 1st and 2nd through Kennedy in the last week, but also finished 1st and 2nd - with Danny MacDonald and Mark Shannon - in the season-opening Lacey Cup in Tralee, Co Kerry, the weekend before last.
In the A3-Junior race today well-known cycling photographer Barry Sutton, like Kennedy in the main event, showed aged is no barrier when he took the victory in a bunch sprint. Sutton's triumph came at the expense of two of the younger guns in the field; Con Scully of Carlow Road Cycling Club and Patrick O'Loughlin of host club Panduit Carrick Wheelers.
The two junior riders broke clear on the opening lap of the race, for the Tommy Sheehan Memorial cup, and spent over 90km up the road working away as a duo. However, they were caught with about 1.5km to go, at which point Sutton (Greenmount Cycling Academy) stepped in and powered to victory - a fantastic result for the 52-year-old, who was a top A1 rider in his younger days.
More to come very shortly, including full results and details of the A4 Landy Cup.
