Sam Bennett takes the final stage of the Suir Valley Three and with it won the race overall having led from start to finish (Photo: www.blackumbrellaphotography.com)
Sam Bennett capped a brilliant overall victory in the Suir Valley Three-Day today< Monday, when he won the final stage on the punishing uphill finish just outside Clonmel.
The An Post-Chainreaction rider used the sprint that has earned him such a fearsome reputation as he blasted past second-placed Paidi O’Brien (Planet Tri) and Ryan Sherlock (Polygon sweet Nice).
The race had looked in some doubt for the Carrick on Suir rider as he came into the stage with just a 20-second lead on Rapha Condor JLT rider Hugh Carty. But when the latter forged his way into a threatening five-man escape group in the latter part of the race and built up a lead of 1’30seconds, Bennett looked in trouble.
But thanks to the efforts of his four teammates, Jack Wilson, Ronan McLaughlin, Shane Archbold and Sean Downey as well as Marcus Christie (Foyle CC), they chipped into the lead of the five men out front and by the time they hit the base of the final climb – the category one ascent of the Nire - it was all back together.
However, as the An Post riders proceeded to drop back after their exhaustive chase, it was left to Bennett to do the business as he was left all but isolated in the final kilometres with just a handful of overall contenders.
One by one they attacked Bennett in the hope of wrestling the yellow jersey from his shoulders but each time the three-time Rás stage winner responded. And he put the seal on his first stage race win since his Junior Tour of Ireland win in 2009 by rounding the last bend and scorching to stage and overall honours.
“It’s a massive win for me and the team,” said Bennett after.
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“We were under pressure from everyone coming into the race, including ourselves, to do well. And to get three stage wins and the overall, as well as the points jersey and hot spots jersey, it’s been amazing. The team were incredible, each and every one of them, and Marcus (Christie) too, he came to our aid there today and we didn’t even ask him. I’m thrilled.”
Indeed, Bennett needed all of his teammates today because following yesterday’s awesome ride to get across to a chase group and put time into many of his rivals, he admitted afterwards that he wasn’t feeling so good today and suffered on the day’s three climbs.
A four-man break formed right from the gun, with Aquablue’s Sean Lacey moving clear with Richard Hooton (Visit Nenagh-Team DMG), Derek Cunningham (Bray Wheelers) and Ciaran O’Conluain (UCD).
They worked very well together and by the 20 kilometre mark, they had a gap of 50 seconds, aided by the stiff tailwind back towards Mitchelstown.
In the meantime, Conor Murphy (Eurocycles) – who started the day seventh on GC - jumped away with Robin Kelly (Aquablue) and they proceeded to make their way across, bridging around the 30-kilometre mark.
Then, following another flurry of attacks from the peloton, Bryan McCrystal (Cuchulainn CC) attacked and began to make his away across with the intention of helping Murphy who was leader on the road for a stretch, as the gap went out to over two minutes at Ballyporeen; Murphy started the day 1’04” in arrears.
After Ballyporeen, Hugh Carty (Rapha Condor JLT) made a daring bid for the overall when he attacked the peloton and with Ronan McLaughlin, rode straight across to the break, an impressive ride by the British youngster.
They picked up McCrystal on their way across and how the former triathlete would have been glad of their assistance.
That trio joined the six men up front on the Vee and drilled a furious pace, which proved too much for O’Conluain and Robin Kelly, the latter getting back into the bunch just before the descent.
Cunningham and Hooton also got dropped by the break at around the 80 kilometre mark but both can take enormous comfort in what were two brilliant efforts.
That left just Carty, Lacey, Murphy, McCrystal and McLaughlin up front. And after 95 kilometres, the gap had tumbled to 40 seconds.
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But when the break upped it on the climb of Colligan, with less than 30k to go, there still remained hope as they pulled out a gap of over a minute, a product of the bunch riding steady.
As this stage, Carty was yellow on the road as the race headed for Ballymacabry. But it was then that the An Post Chainreaction team went to the front and really lit up the pace.
McLaughlin, Downey , Wilson and Archbold were all in impressive form while they formed a very decent ally in Marcus Christie who also took a number of huge turns as the break’s lead dwindled.
Eventually, they came into sight and as soon as they did, Conor Murphy struck out alone and was soon joined by Eoin Morton (UCD) and Charles Prendergast (Polygon sweet Nice).
They pulled the gap out again as Murphy still had designs of swooping for the yellow jersey. But when Prendergast dropped back, their race was all but over.
That didn’t stop Morton going for glory and the UCD man put in a phenomenal effort to firstly, gap Murphy, and with 3k to go he was alone out front.
Alas, the gradient proved too much for him and the peloton, fragmenting under the pace at the front by the An Post team, swept him up.
Carty attacked with 2k to go in the hope of getting the 21 seconds he needed, but Bennett was equal to it and he wrapped up the win with a trademark finishing sprint, gaining revenge on runner-up O’Brien, who won Saturday’s opener.
