Luke Smith (Moynalty Cycling Club) won the main event at the Boyne Grand Prix in Co Meath yesterday despite an unsuccessful early bid for victory and a mechanical that he assumed had ended his race in the Jons Drogheda Wheelers promotion.
There was also a big win for junior rider Joseph Mullen in the A3 race; the 16-year-old from Navan Road Club spending most of the 80km event clear on his own for a brilliant victory.
In the main event, despite the fact Smith is combining his racing with a Masters in physiotherapy in Cork this year, he is being coached by Thomas Fallon and had the legs to stage a strong comeback in the closing stages yesterday. He went on to snatch an unlikely win from the jaws of defeat.
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Smith (24) was just ahead of first-year U23 Adam Gilsenan (Arabay Vas Team), with the in-form Gareth O’Neill (Team PB Performance) rounding out the podium.
Smith got away early with Lindsay Watson (Powerhouse Sport), spending the first two laps - of six - clear on a 16km circuit in Stackallen, Co Meath. However, they were then caught and a group of approximately 10 riders forged clear at around the halfway point.
In that group were, among others, O'Neill, Darnell Moore (Caldwell Cycles), Conn McDunphy (Lucan CRC), Ronan Grimes (Orwell Wheelers), Gilsenan and Watson. However, due to the fact a number of potential race winners were present, the cooperation was not what it night have been.
As a result, they only ever pulled out a modest gap, much less than one minute, on the chasing pack. The fact the race situation remained so tight later played into the hands of the eventual race winner, Smith, when he found himself unexpectedly chasing to get back to the leaders.
While Smith was in the breakaway of about 10, he punctured on the penultimate lap and lost his place at the front, assuming at that point his race was over. However, he got a quick change from a support vehicle and managed to get back into the second chasing group.
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There he had help from his club mates, Shane Smith and James McEneaney, and along with a number of other riders they embarked on a strong chase. They closed up to the first chasing group and then the breakaway, to form a large group approaching the finish. That pursuit was helped in no small part by the leaders messing around a little as they neared the line.
While Smith only got back to the front with about 1km to go, he managed to move to the head of the group, with the help of his team mates again, and was ready to pounced when the fight for victory came down to a sprint.
Moore went early but tied up a little coming to the line, with Smith coming from behind to win from Gilsenan and O'Neill. The top three were followed by Watson and Moore. Junior rider Quillan Donnelly (Isorex Cycling Team) was 6th, with the Moynalty men, Shane Smith and James McEnaney, taking 7th and 8th, though their fingerprints were also very much on the victory.
In the A3 race, junior cyclocross international, Joseph Mullen, showed that Navan Road Club has a good one on its hands. He attacked on the opening lap, of five, and spent almost the entire 80km event out front. He had company at first but soon dropped his breakaway companion, from Orwell Wheelers, and pressed on solo.
Evergreen veteran Shane Baker (Usher IRC), the winner of many big A1 races earlier in his career, took 2nd place just ahead of another top masters rider, Craig Sweetman (Stamullen RC). Just a few lengths back, Andrew Kelly (Moynalty Cycling Club) led in the bunch for 4th.
Christopher Marshall (Molenspurters) was 5th, Patrick O’Sullivan (Orwell Wheelers CC) 6th, Conor Lally (Roadman Cycling Club) 7th and Ross O’Keefe (Athy Wheelers Cycling Club) 8th.
In the A4 race, Graeme Cross (Velo Café Magasin) claimed victory from Pieter Conradie (Un-Attached Leinster) after that duo broke clear to fight it out for victory. Just a few seconds further back, Conor McKeown (Un-Attached Leinster) led in a group sprint for 3rd.
Neil McDermott (Lakeside Wheelers Mullingar CC) was 4th, with Marcin Laszczyk (Un-Attached Leinster) 5th, Paul Murtagh (Lakeside Wheelers Mullingar CC) 6th, Damian Donohue (Moynalty Cycling Club) 7th and Chris Wheeler (Team Madigan CC) 8th.
- For full results of all races at the Boyne GP, please follow this link
