Top C1s outgunned by C2s and large handicap as O’Shea wins in Kanturk

James O'Shea of VeloRevolution-SpeedQueen grabbed his chance in Kanturk on a day when the C2s outsmarted their C1 rivals and came away with an advantage of almost two minutes (Photo: Sean Rowe)

Some of the top C1 riders in the country lined out for the C1-C2 Kanturk Three Day opening stage in Co Cork today. But at the end of over two hours of racing, none of them troubled the top of the results sheet.

Instead, the C2s took full advantage of the large handicap they were given – riding smarter and more cohesively than the scratch group. And when the dust had settled on the day, the C2s had turned the race on its head and James O’Shea (VeloRevolution-SpeedQueen) had taken the biggest win of his career.

O’Shea had won the Tomas Walsh Perpetual Cup for best C2 at Dornan Rás Mumhan over Easter, so clearly his form was there. He took flight from his group in the closing stages of today’s opening stage and claimed a solo win.

He was four seconds up on Conor Regan of Kilcullen CC Murphy’s Geospatial, who led in the C2 group in the gallop for the runner-up spot.

Noah Finn of Cycling Leinster claimed 3rd place from Keith Walsh (Greenmount CA), Brendan Reen (Sliabh Luachra Cycling Club) and Kris Martinkus, of host club O’Leary Stone Katurk.

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The C2s were given an advantage of four minutes over the C1s in this handicap format stage race. And though normally the scratch riders would be expected to close that gap, the field is smaller this year, as has been the case in many races.

Up front, the C2s got organised and began riding with each other from the start while attacks went early in the C1 group, undermining efforts to get a proper chasing going.

Though a cohesive pursuit threatened to break out several times in the C1 group, with Orwell Wheelers keen to contribute, it did not stick.

And as the gap to the front group began to come down, many of the C1 riders were more focussed on trying to get away from their group and get across to the C2s to gain an advantage on their GC rivals.

That resulted in attacking continuing from the C1 group, which played into the hands of those up front. On the line, the lead group of 17 riders had 1:45 in hand on the C1s; a very sizeable advantage in a stage race of this nature.

The riders now face a split stage tomorrow – with a TT and road race – before Sunday’s concluding road stage. That means the C1s still have time to close the gap to the 17 men who took their chance today.

However, there will again be a handicap in operation for the two remaining road stages. It will be interesting to see if the C2s can stay away again. Or can the C1s can catch them early enough to shake them off and gain the time they now need to force their way to the top of the GC?