The near 100-mile stage came down to this lunge for the line, with a photo finish needed to confirm who had won. And when that verdict came back it was Ronan McLaughlin, right, who had taken it (All photos by Toby Watson)
Ronan McLaughlin wins fantastic Tour of Ulster stage 2
Having raced in Europe for most of his career but competed at home in recent years; Ronan McLaughlin has shown he still has what it takes.
Despite now combining his racing and training with working full-time, the Donegal man took an impressive win on stage 2 at the Victus Tour of Ulster today.
Yesterday’s winner Conn McDunphy (Lucan CRC) missed the key breakaway of the day and several successful chase groups.
And while he very nearly made it across to the breakaway, he just fell short. He’d eventually lose four minutes and tumble down the standings.
Advertisement
His race leader’s pink jersey has passed to Joe Evans of Cornwall-based team St Piran.
But there was no mistaking who the day belonged to; the very popular McLaughlin.
At the end of the 97.7 mile stage, McLaughlin arrived at the finish in Banbridge with Liam Holohan (Rhino Velo).
Like McLaughlin, Holohan has spent years riding at Continental level. And it was perhaps no surprise they proved strongest at the end of today’s stage, especially as the riders had 111 miles in their legs from yesterday’s opener.
In the final sprint to the line it was McLaughlin who beat Holohan to take another big win for Viner-Caremark-Pactimo.
Evans wasn’t too far away; his push for the race lead seeing him lose four seconds in the sprint as he took 3rd on the day.
Oliver Hayward of Rhino Velo then came in on his own for 4th place, some 48 seconds down.
McDunphy finishes in the pink leader's jersey that now passes from his shoulders; though he very nearly saved it.
Just 10 further seconds would elapse before Scott Auld (VC Toucy) led home a three-man group. He took 5th from Oliver Maxwell of St Piran. McLaughlin’s team mate Conor Hennebry was next, in 6th place.
Another 11 seconds back came former Tour of Ulster winner Mark Dowling. The Team Leinster man was 1:09 down. But he is starting to show the first signs of some form this year.
Just one second behind him came Wilfried Canales of VC Toucy in 9th. And 10th placed Richard Maes of Killarney CC was a whopping 2:41 back.
However, Maes did very well against formidable domestic and international competition. His 10th place on the day was put into perspective by the very large time gaps behind him.
He got out of the bunch with about 60 miles completed and caught and went through several groups.
However, he could not get in contact with nine men up the road and so took the sprint from a group for 10th
How the race unfolded
Just like yesterday; a strongman’s group got clear very early and the best of those would survive all the way.
This time around it took the breakaway a little longer to break clear. But just shy of 20 miles completed, attacking resulted in 12 men riding away; their number swelled by five when a chase group got across.
In that group were Antoine Le Corre (UCD Cycling Club), John Buller (Banbridge CC), Mark Dowling (Cycling Leinster) and Conor Kissane (Killarney Cycling Club).
Also present was Ben Joughin (Newry Wheelers), Mark McKinley (Newry Wheelers), Jody Wright (Phoenix CC) and Donal Shearer (Phoenix CC).
Related News
Top, Evans comes in to round out the stage podium, and take the race leader. In blue, Hennebry is now 3rd overall and his team mate McLaughlin has a stage win.
Lindsay Watson (Powerhouse Sport) was also there, along with Cian Keogh (Powerhouse Sport), Philip Lavery (Strata3-VeloRevolution), James Davenport (Strata3-VeloRevolution) and Angus Fyffe (Team Caldwell Cycles).
Sean Moore (Team Gerard-DHL) also made the grade, as did Conor Hennebry (Viner Caremark Pactimo), Ronan McLaughlin (Viner Caremark Pactimo) and Jordan Levasseur (VC Toucy).
At 24 miles, Lindsay Watson took the first climbers’ prime on the cat 3 Grove Hill.
The gap went out to 2½ minutes with about 25 miles covered; race leader McDunphy stranded back in the bunch.
Watson took the second climb, the cat 1 Sleive Croob, with 38 miles covered; by which stage the gap had come down considerably.
And by the third categorised climb of the day – the cat 2 Boiling Well with 42 miles done and where James Davenport was first to the top – the breakaway only had one minute on the main field.
At that point a crucial move was made behind in the bunch; Joe Evans (St Piran) and Scott Auld (VC Toucy) jumping clear.
They took advantage of the fact the gap had come right down. And while others had tried and failed earlier in the stage to bridge the gap, they succeeded in making it all the way.
That was the key to putting Evans into the race lead by the end of the stage.
And behind those two came five more chasers; Gareth McKee (Banbridge CC), Marc Potts (Donegal Bay CC), Oli Maxwell (St Piran), Siim Kiskonen (VC Toucy) and Gary Donaldson (Team Tyrone). They also made the juncture, eventually.
With 50 miles done the cat 2 climb at Rathfriland was crested; Jordan Levasseur (VC Toucy) taking maximum points.
Onto Spelga Dam and it was there that a key attacked occurred; three strong men riding clear.
They were Joe Evans (St Piran), Ronan McLaughlin (Team Viner Caremark Pactimo) and Jordan Levasseur (VC Toucy); Levasseur taking the climb with 56.5 miles done.
Behind, Conn McDunphy attacked the peloton and while he closed to within 33 seconds of the group chasing the leading three, that was as close as he got.
By the time the leaders had reached the sixth climb at Leitrim, their number had increased to six.
Getting across were Mark Dowling (Cycling Leinster), Oli Maxwell (St Piran) and Scott Auld (VC Toucy). Levasseur again took the climbers’ prime.
On the final climb of the day – Windy Gap at 74 miles – Mark Dowling attacked and rode over the top first.
He built a lead of over one minute and while he stayed away solo for more than 10 miles he was caught.
And when he was the chase group had gotten bigger; to nine men including himself.
Liam Holohan (Rhino Velo), Oliver Hayward (Rhino Velo), Conor Hennebry (Team Viner Caremark Pactimo) and Wilfried Canales (VC Toucy) had ridden across.
And as the finish approached, the group would split in the final five miles.
Liam Holohan (Rhino Velo), Joe Evans (St Piran) and Ronan McLaughlin (Viner Caremark Pactimo) would pull clear.
And that’s how it would stay; McLaughlin winning in a photo finish and Evans taking the race lead.
McDunphy’s day was compounded by a puncture having almost caught the leaders earlier in the stage and then puncture just as he was losing ground.
With just one stage remaining, Evans leads by 52 seconds from Auld, with Hennebry in 3rd on the same time.
Topics
