Reece Wood of Zappi Racing has won the final stage of Tour of the North, and with it the overall title.
His team mate Nathan Draper began the stage leading the race. But when Wood broke clear in a four-man group that dominated the stage, the final yellow jersey passed to his shoulders.
In that escape with Wood was a trio of Irish riders who were still within touching distance of winning the race outright setting out this morning.
Those Irish riders were David Montgomery (Kinning Cycles), Craig McAuley (Caldwell Cycles) and classy junior Kevin McCambridge (NRPT-Vitus-Chill).
Wood was best-placed of the quartet at the start of the stage; sitting in 6th place and some 33 seconds off Draper.
Montgomery was one place and five seconds behind him. And one further place back and four seconds down on him came McAuley.
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McCambridge was a little further back in the standings, but not much; sitting in 14th at 51 seconds.
A 23 per cent section of Torr...
Starting the Gaults climb today before the drop down to the finish, the four leaders had a margin of four minutes over the yellow jersey group.
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McAuley had spent the stage collecting mountains classification points and he took maximum points on the top of the 5km long Gaults.
At the finish in Ballymena it was Wood who took the stage and the overall.
However, while Wood took all; the performance of the day was put in my young McCambridge.
He was originally away for about 80km with Montgomery and
they were joined in the Torr climb by Wood and McAuley.
On the run in to the line McAuley paid for his earlier
efforts on the climbs and lost his place in the front group with about 4km
remaining.
At the line Wood took the stage from McCambridge and
Montgomery. And he won overall from Montgomery – who looks to be back close to
his best again.
McCambridge was rewarded for his efforts but jumping up to 3rd overall; a terrific stage and overall performance by the teenager.
McAuley took 4th on the stage followed by Jordan Peacock (Spirit Tifosi), Archie Ryan (Zappi Racing), Lindsay Watson (Powerhouse Sport), Donal Shearer (Phoenix CC), Gareth O’Neill (Newry Wheelers) and Leon Mazzone (Spirit Tifosi) rounding out the top 10 on the stage.
In the overall; Wood won by five seconds from Montgomery,
with McCambridge in 3rd a further 13 seconds back.
Then came McAuley, who also won the climbers’ classification; finishing 4th overall some 39 seconds off outright victor Wood.
Peacock was next; in 5th place and 59 seconds down. And Gareth O’Neill, who had missed yellow by just one second yesterday, ended the race in 6th place, 1:31 down
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