Matt Teggart has taken a solo win in the Des Hanlon Memorial in Co Carlow, in what was the opening round of the Cycling Ireland National Road Series 2022. He claimed the win in emphatic style after getting away from a breakaway compromised of some of the strongest riders in the country.
Now competing with British UCI Continental team WiV SunGod, Teggart (26) has been racing internationally in recent weeks, including the four-stage Tour of Antalya (2.1) in Turkey where he placed 5th on a stage.
He put those legs to good use today and adds his win at the 'Des Hanlon', one of the most prestigious races on the Irish scene, to the victories he took last year in the Shay Elliott Memorial and John Beggs Memorial - also among the biggest bike races in the country.
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While Teggart has raced in recent years at a much higher level that most of his rivals today, he took a bit of a back seat in the opening phase of the race, which was run off at breakneck speed. That decision to take a conservative approach very nearly backfired on him as a strong group of about 10 riders got clear on the second lap, leaving the eventual winner behind in the peloton.
When that gap to the breakaway went out to about one minute, Teggart decided to go after the escapees. He attacked from the peloton on the hard climb on the course on the second lap and got clear in a small group. That four-man move - Teggart, Leo Doyle (TWC Tempo Veldhoven), Conor Murnane (UCD Cycling Club) and Dean Harvey (Spellman Dublin Port) - managed to bridge across to the leaders.
It was on that same climb next time around that the fireworks started to go off in the breakaway, with first-year U23 Harvey and former 'Des Hanlon' winner Mark Dowling (Unattached) among those pushing the pace.
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Teggart got into the mix and joined the attacking, eventually pulling clear of the others with Dowling and Harvey to form a very strong three-man group. They were soon joined by another very strong rider, Gareth O'Neill (Caldwell Cycles), with that foursome working well as a unit.
Their group continued to pull clear before Teggart lit it up with a sustained attack on a climb with about 25km remaining. His efforts proved enough to get clear of O'Neill, Dowling and Harvey and he time trialed in to the finish for a very impressive win.
Behind him, several groups came together and Murnane came through for 2nd place on the day, with Doyle in 3rd; both putting in strong performances especially having been forced to bridge across to the breakaway with Teggart and Harvey on the second lap.
Runner-up in Carrick-on-Suir on St Patrick's Day, Cillian Murphy of Galway Bay CC, was 4th. Luke Smith of Moynalty CC, who won on St Patrick's Day at the Starsky CC races in Kilbride, Co Wicklow, was 5th. Lindsey Watson (Powerhouse Sport) rounded out what was a very strong top six.
