Having stepped in his training volume - with intensity at the end of long rides - during the winter under new coach Thomas Fallon, 20-year-old Ruairí Woods is now reaping the rewards having scored his second win of the season today.
The Spellman Dublin Port rider is mixing his racing with college this year. And rather than following the Rás Tailteann focus of many riders, he told stickybottle he wants to concentrate in on his one-day racing plans, especially as a broken elbow ended his season early last year.
"I think it's now showing that the hard work I put in over the winter and the last few months is really paying off," said the Mullingar man, a former Lakeside Wheeler, now studying environmental health in TUD.
"I started with Thomas Fallon last winter and I've found his coaching is really good, and it's brought me up a level I needed. It's been longer endurance rides, with backloaded sessions; threshold efforts at the end of 4-4½ hours, just putting the work into the legs and the body."
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Woods claimed a real racer's victory today in the main event at the Lakeland GP in Co Fermanagh. He broke clear in a breakaway about 15km from the finish and then took flight solo in the final to win it well.
And though he was hunted down all way to the line by talented first-year junior Cameron Henry (Inspired Cycling), as well as Sean Gallagher (Four Masters CC), Woods had pulled out enough of a gap to hold on for a strong win.
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That victory in today's Lakeland Cycling Club promotion - over two laps of a 50km circuit in Derrygonnelly, Co Fermanagh - follows on from his first win of the season at the Castlebar Grand Prix in Co Mayo last month.
Today, Woods was in the A2 group given a five-minute handicap on the A1s and the limit riders took their chance; knuckling down and combining up and over from the start. Though Woods had a dig on the climb on the course towards the end of the front lap, his time out front was short-lived due to the headwind.
Once he was reabsorbed, cooperation was the name of the game again in the group. And when the A2s got time checks at the halfway point of the race, they still had a three minute advantage, giving them a great chance of making it all the way.
On the climb on the second lap, it was Henry who pushed the pace; squeezing on the pedals as the road kicked up to do real damage. His surge forward caused a split in the A2 group and dragged a breakaway of about 10 riders clear.
That breakaway group then went towards the finish intact as the other A2s were caught by the rapidly approaching A1 scratch group. And with about 1km to go, Woods jumped and gained a gap to win, with Henry and Gallagher 2nd and 3rd just behind him. The A1 group were only about 40 seconds back.
In the A3 race, Tony Farrell of Bohermeen CC claimed a solo win, with Callum McCaffrey (Saxun Extrusax Primoti) winning the bunch kick from Jason Henry of Inspired Cycling, and father of aforementioned Cameron Henry, placing 3rd.
The A3 race was stopped for a period after it was caught by the A4 event after about 25km. That A4 race was eventually won by Thomas McCabe (Moynalty CC) from Patrick Murtagh (Chain Driven Cycles) and Gareth McNeice (Armagh City Cyclists).
