Up and coming Heaney edges O'Callaghan for JG Memorial

Marc Heaney has taken his second win of the season, at the JG Memorial, from Mark O'Callaghan in a keenly-contested affair in Donegal.

By Brian Canty

Marc Heaney took his second win of the season yesterday afternoon when he outsprinted one of the strong men of the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan, Mark O’Callaghan, in the JG Memorial in Donegal.

The Carn Wheelers rider, also victorious in the Bann Valley Classic in mid-April, made his way across to a five-man escape that went clear inside the opening kilometres of the two-lap, 80-kilometre, event.

It was a tough parcours, with the A1, A2 and A3 riders all starting together and the bunch really breaking up on the rolling roads.

In the break were Davy McFall (Omagh Wheelers), Johnny Taylor (Carn Wheelers), Darren McCarthy (Donegal Bay CC), the aforementioned Heaney and O’Callaghan as well as a few others.

The group worked well together and had a two-minute gap on the bunch when the attacking started around 10 kilometres from the finish.

But it wasn’t until around 5km remaining that the two Marks went clear, with Heaney going first and O’Callaghan in tow.

They pulled out a 30-second gap on the chasers behind but the attacking and counter-attacking restarted all over again.

Heaney went at 500 metres and again with around 150 to go and O’Callaghan had no answer.

Taylor managed to grab third from the aforementioned McFall.

Sat, June 4th: JG Memorial

Hosted by Rathmullan Cycling Club

A1-A2-A3 Race

1. Mark Heaney (Carn Wheelers)
2. Mark O'Callaghan (Limerick CC)
3. Johnny Taylor (Carn Wheelers)
4. Davie McFall (Omagh Wheelers)
5. Daragh McCarthy (Donegal Bay CC)
6. Kieran Porter (Strabane/Lifford CC)
First Lady; Claire McIllwaine (Phoenix CC)