Matt Teggart (WiV SunGod) has taken victory in Banbridge today in the race run in honour of his grandfather, the Noel Teggart Memorial. The 26-year-old made the original breakaway and when that group was whittled back to just three riders during a relentless finale, Teggart made the cut again before having too much poke for his rivals at the finish.
Just behind him were two young international riders; Adam Ward (SmartDry-Girona Cycling City) taking the runner-up placing today and Dean Harvey (Spellman Dublin Port) taking 3rd.
All three rode a great race and were among the animators on the final lap when the leading group took turns to attack each other, ensuring that breakaway – despite its strength in depth – was blown apart.
While Ward has been racing UCI-ranked events in Europe with his Spanish team in recent months and young Harvey has been making a name for himself on the domestic scene in his first season out of the juniors, Teggart has been in rare form this season.
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He is mixing the domestic scene with his trade team commitments, most recently placing 5th in Paris-Troyes (1.2) just last weekend. That higher standard of racing he is being exposed to – and competing well in – was in evidence today and will be deployed on Rás Tailteann next week.
Odhran Doogan (Team Caldwell Cycles), who was part of the original breakaway and stayed with the eventual top three, took 4th place. Behind the first four, Gareth O’Neill (Team Caldwell Cycles) came through from the chasing group to take 5th place.
Then came two more men who were part of the breakaway
that dominated the race; Darragh McCarter (Spellman-Dublin Port) in 6th
and Paul-Antoine Hagan (Banbridge CC) 7th.
Conor Halvey of Four Masters CC, one
of Ireland’s up and coming U23 riders who has ridden very well this year, placed
8th while Darnell Moore (Team Caldwell Cycles) and Lindsay
(Watson Powerhouse Sport) were 9th and 10th.
How it unfolded
The A1-A2 main event was handicapped, with the A2s getting a three-minute lead as they all set out on the 19-mile course, to be negotiated four times. The A1 riders took off from the start very fast, with eventual winner Teggart putting in some monster attacks; the speed ensuring the gap to the A2s tumbled immediately the racing began.
Paul Antoine Hagan (Banbridge CC) and Matthew Devins (Trinity Racing) were also among the riders firing themselves off the front of the A1 group as the A2 came into view with one lap completed.
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Not long after the A1 and A2 groups merged the decisive move of the day was made with some very heavy hitters in that breakaway.
Teggart was there along with Darragh McCarter (Spellman Dublin Port), Leo Doyle (TWC Tempo Veldhoven), Adam Ward (SmartDry – Girona Cycling City), Dean Harvey (Spellman Dublin Port) and Odhran Doogan (Caldwell Cycles).
Devins sensed this was a key move and went after them but was closed down. However, Paul Antoine Hagan (Banbridge CC) then made an effort to bridge, which was successful – his engine clearly well-tuned ahead of his national team debut at Rás Tailteann next week.
Behind that breakaway a chasing group soon formed which was comprised of: Darnell Moore (Caldwell Cycles), Gareth O’Neill (Caldwell Cycles), Lindsay Watson (Powerhouse Sport) and Nathan Keown (Dan Morrissey Pactimo).
Just after those two groups got established, the first time gaps showed a 40 second gap between breakaway and chasers, with the bunch 1:20 behind the breakaway with two laps completed. On the third lap there was no major change in the gap between the evenly matched breakaway.
However, finally on the final lap the gap grew out and hit the all important one minute mark; confirmation, if it was needed, that the men in the near day-long breakaway would fight it out for victory.
Teggart was clearly on a charge today and determined to win the race named after his grandfather as he was the first to light it up at the front and attack on the last lap. Ward and Doogan were the first to get across to Teggart, with Harvey taking a little bit longer to make contact.
However, once Harvey made the juncture he immediately attacked from the group. He pulled out a small gap as Doogan and Ward looked to Teggart to chase, with Doyle, McCarter and Hagan a little further back.
With 10 miles to go, Harvey sensed his solo efforts were not going to proving successful and he decided to call a halt to his move. After a short period back in the group he attacked again, clearly hoping some hesitation from the others might play into his hands.
There then followed a series of attacks; Ward going first only to be caught and countered by Harvey, with Teggart then putting in a dig. From that exchange, it was Harvey who pulled clear and when Teggart went after him, Doogan lost contact with the group, which was now down to just three.
That was soon down to two – Teggart and Ward – though Harvey came back to them after briefly losing contact. And while Harvey then put in a very late attack, it was cancelled out. The leading trio went to the line together, where Teggart claimed the win from Ward and Harvey in that order.
- For full results of all six races at the Noel Teggart Memorial today please follow this link.
