Ian Richardson comes home solo in the wet after a savage stage having taken the time he needed to win the Suir Valley Three Day overall (Photo: Sean Rowe)
One of the best riders on the domestic scene in recent years and a man whose stock has risen hugely in the last 18 months, Ian Richardson has taken the final yellow jersey at the Suir Valley Three Day.
Having matched the UK team JLT-Condor p/b Mavic all weekend, Richardson had his homework done more diligently for the complicated run-in to the finish of today’s final stage in the wet.
And when the yellow jersey of Stevie Williams went the wrong way at a roundabout approximately 4km from the finish, the head of the race was fracturing and Richardson was going off the front.
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Behind him, Williams crashed as he quickly tried to correct his mishap. And while he was quickly back on his bike; Richardson had already hit the afterburners and the other JLT-Condor p/b Mavic riders couldn't hold him.
He had checked the course out well in advance of the stage; clearly determined to put in a big attack looking to win the race outright in final few kilometres littered with corners.
Once off the front, Richardson’s big TT engine was in overdrive as he pressed for home and in the end having gone into the stage five seconds down in 2nd place overall, he would win the title by a provisional seven seconds.
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Elliott Porter takes victory on the final stage having been in a two-man escape with Darnell Moore only for the Irishman to crash just before the finish. Richardson can be seen in the background and the best of the rest in the distance (Photo: Sean Rowe)
Williams’ disaster was not the only drama on the run in for home today.
The emerging young Irish rider Darnell Moore (Caldwell Cycles) put in a terrific ride up the road for half the stage with UK rider Elliott Porter (Neon Velo).
Daire Feeley (iTap) was with them but punctured near the climb of Aherlow; a second mechanical for him this weekend after his chain slipped when sprinting for the win on stage 1; he would finish in 4th place.
And the last corner, when he looked on course to take victory, Moore crashed leaving Porter to cross the line first.
The visitor had ridden extremely well himself, it was just unfortunate the honours were settled after such an unfortunate mishap for Moore.
Adding insult to injury, when Moore was picking himself up in an effort to get going again Richardson whizzed past him for 2nd on the stage on his way to winning the event outright.
The final stage took the riders 113 kilometres in an anti-clockwise direction around Tipperary with two Hot Sport sprints and one categorised climb; the cat 1 Glen of Aherlow after 40 kilometres.
And while the team of yellow jersey Williams led the way for most of the stage controlling the front of the bunch, Porter and the ever-improving Moore put in a fantastic performance to pull out a gap of 2½ minutes at one point.
And while that was pegged right back coming into Clonmel for the very technical approach to the finish, they stayed clear though the fight for the stage and final yellow jersey became very dramatic at the final curtain.
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