US road race and cyclocross champion Gage Hecht of the Hot Tubes team claims victory from Alexis Roche of NRPT-Magnet.ie on the final stage of the Scott Junior Tour of Ireland. The day belonged to rising star Charlie Meredith of Giant Halo who successfully defended the yellow jersey he took last Thursday (Photo: Stephen McMahon-Sportsfile)
By Brian Canty
Charlie Meredith has won the Scott Bicycles Junior Tour of Ireland after safeguarding the yellow jersey on today’s final stage of the race.
The Giant Halo man came into the day three seconds clear of Robert O’Leary (Irish national team) in second.
And though the latter tried again and again to break away and take the time he needed to win overall, Meredith and his team proved too strong.
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Gage Hecht (Hot Tubes) won the final stage from Alexis Roche (NRPT-Magnet.ie).
Hecht is the reigning US junior road race champion and the junior national cyclocross champion.
Winner of the race overall Charlie Meredith of Giant Halo Team pictured with the JJ McCormack Perpetual Challenge Trophy. He underlined his class by also winning the penultimate stage on Gallows Hill - keep an eye out of this kid (Photo: Stephen McMahon - Sportsfile)
He won bronze in the US junior TT championships this year and took 4th in the World Cyclocross Championships last year and was 12th this year.
He has previously been the US junior criterium champion and won national track titles.
On the final stage today it was always going to be difficult for anyone to get away from the yellow jersey on such a short and fast 77km contest but that didn’t stop many from trying.
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Andrew Schmidt (Hincapie Development), Evan Clouse (Hot Tubes) and Jake Gray (Irish National Team) escaped and worked very well to get a gap but they were hauled back before they ever pulled out any substantial lead.
The next move involved Alexis Roche (NRPT-Magnet.ie), Gage Hecht (Hot Tubes) and Logan Zueger (Hot Tubes) and they were soon joined by Friday’s stage winner Bjorn Larson (Holowesko Citadel pb Hincapie).
They went a minute clear but they were no threat to the yellow jersey as Hecht was the highest placed of them at 3:15.
The field strung out on the final stage at the end of a brilliant week's racing. The field had real strength in depth, with plenty of Irish riders willing and able to take on some really strong lads from overseas (Photo: Stephen McMahon - Sportsfile)
O’Leary then started his attacking and he managed to escape with Etienne Georgi (Giant Halo) but that was a short-lived move.
Zuegar dropped out of the break to leave three up front; Roche, Hecht and Larson now those in contention.
With a couple of kilometres to go the gap tumbled and with less than 15 seconds between bunch and break Gage Hecht launched an attack up front.
And it was enough for him to take the win with a clearly frustrated Roche banging his handlebars taking second and Liam Wilson of Cycling Ulster getting up for third.
It brought an end to a cracking week of racing with a worthy winner protecting his lead for three stages – but no shortage of effort from those well-placed on GC.
Eoghan McLoughlin of Connacht Cycling held the mountains jersey in what was a breakout performance from him while Colton Brookeshire of Team Specialized took the green points jersey.
Ben Walsh (NRPT-Magnet.ie) held the white jersey as best first-year junior.
More later.
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