Sean Hahessy scalps big gun Colm Cassidy for Munster TT title

Sean Hahessy has turned the tables on top tester Colm Cassidy; beating him to the Munster TT crown after suffering a narrow defeat to the Aquablue man last weekend (Photo: Sean Rowe)

Having blasted to victory in the Munster Time Trial Championships in a course record 12 months ago, Sean Hahessy has retained his crown in Limerick today.

Now competing in the colours of Fitscience, having switched from Carrick Wheelers in the off season, the U23 international today took the not insignificant scalp of Colm Cassidy from the Cork-based Aquablue team.

And the winner’s time of 22:23 on the 18km course from Patrickswell to Croom and back was 40 seconds faster than his time of last year.

Cassidy also went inside last year’s 23:03 marker, in a time of 22:47, as did bronze medal winner Denis Dunworth of Kingdom Endurance who clocked 22:58.

Hahessy’s ride bodes well for the fast approaching National Road Championships, where he will go into the U23 time trial as one of the favourites for a medal.

The man he beat to the title today, Cassidy was runner up in the elite time trial at the national championships last year, losing out by just one second to supreme tester Michael Hutchinson (InGear).

Cassidy also won the Naas Open 26km TT last weekend when he beat Hahessy by just six seconds.

Hahessy will also be one of the fancied men in the combined elite and U23 road race three days after the nationals time trial in Omagh in two weeks.

Today’s Munster championships event was run by Newcastlewest Cycling Club, the sixth consecutive year the club has promoted the races.

The field has grown each year, with a total of 71 riders taking to the start line; a very encouraging 30 of those entering the underage events today.

Siobhan Horgan of Aquablue took the women’s title in a time of 24:53.

The former international and national champion has been busy winning duathlons since she retired there years ago, but is back in the peloton on a regular basis this year.

The U12s and U14s were run on a shorter 7km course from Croom to the Adare intersection today.