Dylan O'Brien rates yesterday's stage win at the Junior Tour as his best ever victory and is now hopeful he can gain selection for the World Championships (Photo: Stephen McMahon - Sportsfile)
By Brian Canty
Dylan O’Brien has said yesterday’s stage win at the Junior Tour of Ireland was by far his biggest result since he started cycling. He is now keen to finish the latter half of the year on a high after a recent period of sickness which curtailed his involvement.
The Munster Sensa win came home ahead of fancied sprinters Jack Maddux of the Hot Tubes team as well as Wednesday’s stage winner Matthew Teggart (Nicolas Roche Performance Team) in a five-man gallop for the line in Ennis, Co Clare.
They, along with overall winner Eddie Dunbar, and runner-up Michael O’Loughlin of the Irish team all contested the finish after being away for much of the stage.
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“It’s absolutely brilliant to win a stage of the Junior Tour,” O’Brien told stickybottle.
“I just can’t believe it. I didn’t know how I’d be this week because I haven’t been able to train how I’d have liked with illness the last month.
“So to actually beat four of the best guys in the race – guys who have all won a stage or more this week, is unbelievable and I’m so proud.
“This was for my teammates who have been unreal this week, always by my side helping me out; for Danny Curtin who gets the best out of me, my father was here today. It’s a very special feeling and this is as much about them as me.”
O’Brien said it was his vigilance that brought him into the winning move.
“Simon Tuomey (Iverk produce Carrick Wheelers) was attacking a lot and we were all following. But once we got onto the circuit I was watching the Americans.
“They had a fella who started the day fourth overall and I didn’t want him getting away. So I followed him and suddenly there were eight of us away.
“Then we came onto the main road; Aaron Swan (NRPT) attacked and Michael O’Loughlin went past him and then there was five us.”
Four of the five breakaway men yesterday; Dunbar, O'Loughlin, Maddux and eventual stage winner O'Brien (Photo: Stephen McMahon - Sportsfile)
That group worked well and pulled out over a minute, which would prove the winning of the stage. But coming to the line O’Brien said he wasn’t that confident he could win.
“Matt Teggart led it in, then Eddie took it up; Maddux jumped with 250 to go, and I came around him to win, that was hard.
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“I knew I’d do okay this week. I was worried on Gallows Hill yesterday because I was tailed off on the first climb.
“But I felt stronger on the next climb at Windy Gap. Eddie just seemed to slip away, I hesitated, I just wanted to mark Maddux. I was afraid of blowing up but before I knew it I was in the second group.”
The Cobh man has been out of action for the best part of a month with a chest infection that still is not cleared up but he believes he’s almost there.
The plan now is to keep training because with the World Championships only eight weeks away, he knows he will need to be on peak form again if he is to make the Irish team.
“It was hard watching on the last few weeks as the boys were abroad,” said O’Brien of missing the European Championships in Switzerland a preparation Nations Cup stage race in Germany the week before, where Dunbar took an excellent second overall.
O'Brien shows his delight as he sprints in at the finish yesterday at the head of a breakaway featuring every rider to win a stage of the Junior Tour last week (Photo: Stephen McMahon - Sportsfile)
“But in a way, it was okay because I didn’t want to go there under-prepared and get blown out the back after 20k.
“I’m getting there now so hopefully I can get back on the Irish team. Eddie is obviously the team leader (for the Worlds). But there are a good few chasing places.
“Michael (O’Loughlin) has been unreal this year and the others have been excellent as well; Daire (Feeley) did savage work this week, Stephen (Shanahan) too. Craig Macauley and (Matt) Teggart both have their names out there too so it’ll be a hard one to pick.”
On Dunbar’s overall win at the Junior Tour - the first time anyone has taken back to back wins in the race; O’Brien could only laugh.
“He’s a star. I see how hard he trains because I spend most of my time in his place; his place is my second home. In fact I nearly spend more time there that I do at home.
“He was the man everyone was watching this week, the defending champion. But he still tore the legs off everyone, I know because he’s torn them off me plenty times out training.
“You couldn’t begrudge that man anything with attitude and the appetite he has. The first man to win it two years in a row; what more can you say?”
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