Tim Barry takes a fantastic win at the Visit Nenagh-DMG Classic (Photo: www.irishcyclingphotos.com / Barry Sutton)
By Brian Canty
Timmy Barry (Dan Morrissey-Speedy Spokes) took his third win of the season and his second in successive weekends after he soloed to a brilliant win in the inaugural ‘DMG-Visit Nenagh Classic’ today, Sunday.
The Cork man had been part of the day’s five-man break that included team-mate Sean Lacey, Mark Dowling (DID Dunboyne), John O'Shea (Iverk Produce/Carrick Wheelers) and Conor McAllister (ChainReactionCycles-Vitus).
But with 12km to go, on the final climb of the day, he attacked and time-trialled his way to the finish, winning in the end by some 40 seconds. It was a well executed plan from Barry and breakaway companion, Sean Lacey.
"We just kept attacking coming in towards the finish and when I went, no one came with me," said an ecstatic Barry, who scooped a hefty piece of slate for his troubles.
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Behind, Lacey beat Dowling in the sprint for second while Richard Hooton of the host club narrowly missed out on the podium in fourth.
Huge crowds and a carnival atmosphere greeted the riders this morning in Nenagh, Co Tipperary, and with a 154km loop to navigate - featuring several KOH's and lumpy roads - it was always going to be a war of attrition.
Barry was clearly in determined mood when he attacked after just two miles, with ChainReactionCycles-Vitus rider Leo McAllister marking him. The duo succeeded in distancing the peloton by a considerable margin.
For 25km the pair rode a steady tempo but then a chase group of four more joined up with them. They were: Sean Lacey (Dan Morrissey/Speedy Spokes), Mark Dowling (DID Dunboyne), John O'Shea (Iverk produce/Carrick Wheelers) and Conor McAllister (ChainReactionCycles-Vitus).
That sextet stayed together until the second last KOH, when Leo McAllister began to feel the effects and dropped back while O'Shea had some rotten luck when he crashed on a slippery descent.
Barry, incredibly, suffered the same fate and displayed his war wounds at the finish but he later said: "It was nothing major".
Approaching the last KOH, the group was trimmed back to just four; Lacey, Barry - who dusted himself off to regain contact - Dowling and Richard Hooton, who carried the hopes of the host club.
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The final climb was where Barry made the crucial move.
Clearly, his form is where it should be with exactly one month to the start of the An Post Rás in Dunboyne on May 20th. Asked if he is in better condition now than he was this time last year, Barry was unsure. "It's hard to say; I was strong this time last year as well."
On Wednesday week, he'll pack his bags and head for the Essor Breton stage race in France with his Dan Morrissey/Speedy Spokes team-mates as the countdown to the country's eight-day domestic showpiece begins in earnest.
In the A3 race today, over 100km, it was a day to remember for Ryan Mullen as he claimed top honours with a dominant show; soloing to victory with a staggering margin to the bunch of almost five minutes
Mullen, who rode last year's World Junior TT Championships and finished 16th - finished ahead of Blarney's fast-man Michael O'Mahony while Mullen's Irish Development squad team-mate Thomas Fallon rounded out the podium in third.
Results: Visit Nenagh Classic April 22nd 2012
A1/A2 (154Km)
1 Timmy Barry (Dan Morrissey/Speedy Spokes)
2 Sean Lacey (Dan Morrissey/Speedy Spokes)
3 Mark Dowling (DID Dunboyne)
4 Richard Hooton (Visit Nenagh-DMG)
5 Fiachra O’ Muire (DID Dunboyne)
6 Conor McAllister (ChainReactionCycles-Vitus)
7 David Peelo (Murphy Surveyors)
8 Martain Mizgajski (Iverk Produce-Carrick Wheelers)
9 Eddie Barry (Blarney CC)
10 Mike Storan (West Clare CC)
11 Jarlath Hassett (West Clare CC)
12 Ryan Sherlock (Cycleways)
13 Paid O’ Brien (Dan Morrissey/Speedy Spokes)
14 Dave Coughlan (Orwell Wheelers CC)
15 Dave Joyce (Galway Bay CC)
16 John Horgan (Dan Morrissey/Speedy Spokes)
17 Joe Fenlon (Dan Morrissey/Speedy Spokes)
18 Odhran Connors (Orwell Wheelers CC)
19 Denis Dunworth (Visit Nenagh-DMG)
20 Keith Fox (Shannonside CC)
A3 Race (104Km)
1 Ryan Mullen (Cycling Ireland Dev Squad)
2 Michael O Mahony (Blarney CC)
3 Thomas Fallon (Cycling Ireland Dev Squad)
4 Andie Engerman (St Tiernan's)
5 Simon Lambert (Wexford Wheelers)
6 Michael Doyle (Barrow Wheelers)
7 Donal Harrington (Western Lakes)
8 Danny Bruton (Cycling Ireland Dev Squad)
9 Eamonn Morgan (West Clare CC)
10 Séan McIlroy (Iverk Produce Carrick Wheelers)
11 Brian Hart (Limerick CC)
12 Cathal Moynihan (Tralee CC)
13 Dylan Foley (Cycling Ireland Dev Squad)
14 Michael Williams (Blarney CC)
15 Paddy Rohan (North Tipp Wheelers)
A4 Race (54km)
1 Kieran Moloney (Kilmallock CC)
2 Daithi Creedon (Southside Wheely Wheelers)
3 Austin Sheedy (Kilmallock CC)
4 Gerard O Loughlin (Iverk Produce Carrick Wheelers)
5 Martin Cashman (Unattached)
6 Ciaran Harte (Slaney CC)
7 Anthony O Halloran (Burren CC)
8 TBC
9 Jim Hennessy (Fermoy CC)
10 Michael Aherne (Dungarvan CC)
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