Dylan O'Brien time trialing his way to overall victory at the Tour of Connacht yesterday. He combined his presence in the stage 1 escape on Saturday with a fantastic ride in the stage 3 TT yesterday afternoon to win the race overall from his Munster Sensa team mate Eddie Dunbar (Photo: James Wright Photography)
Teenager Dylan O’Brien has taken a sensational overall win in the Tour of Connacht in Castlebar this afternoon, with his Munster Sensa team mate Eddie Dunbar swooping in to take second.
It was the first time this season that a junior rider has beaten A1s in an event that did not involve handicaps.
The second-year junior internationals, who will make their debuts for the AC Bisontine team in France in a stage race next Friday, stormed to second and third place respectively in this afternoon’s time-trial stage 3.
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Both were in the winning escape on Saturday that included seven men and gained 3:28 on the next best.
In that stage 1 escape were the three Munster Sensa Team juniors of O’Brien, Dunbar and Stephen Shanahan as well as Derek Joyce (Galway Bay CC), Anthony Murray (Subaru Montgomery Albion) and Mike Storan and Paddy Clarke of Liquidworx-Fitscience.
It was Storan who was quickest in the charge to the line and he took the opener, and the first yellow jersey of the race. In this morning’s stage 2 road race, it was Ger Corcoran (Covey Wheelers) who was quickest in the bunch sprint that settled it.
And while the stage 1 breakaway men still dominated the top of the leader board, there were some changes in their order.
Clarke took the yellow jersey from team mate Storan on count back and a crash forced junior rider Shanahan out, leaving just six of the stage 1 breakaway on equal time going into this afternoon’s concluding time trial.
Chris Troy (Castlebar CC) won the eight-kilometre test, clocking a superb 10 minutes 55 seconds but was not in the winning move on stage 1 and so never threatened for the overall win.
O’Brien was just a second behind him in the test with Dunbar at 14 seconds back, and Paddy Clarke a further five seconds adrift.
The result saw O’Brien take the final yellow and Dunbar go 2nd. Clarke dropped to third overall, with Derek Joyce (Galway Bay CC) taking fourth. Mike Storan (Liquidworx-Fitscience), who won yesterday’s opener, was 14th on the stage at 39 seconds, and dropped back to fifth overall.
But the day belonged to O’Brien. A bronze medallist from last year’s National Junior Road Race Championships, he adds this weekend’s overall victory to a fine win at the Charleville Park Hotel Two-Day last September.
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Today he was against a stronger peloton, laced with A1 riders, and though his Munster Sensa team were numerically disadvantaged against a strong looking six-man Liquidworx-Fitscience team, amongst others, he made the most of the cards he was dealt.
The win is even more impressive because they lost Shanahan on today’s second stage when he touched wheels with Storan on the way across to a dangerous looking move and went down heavily before subsequently abandoning.
After this morning’s 60 kilometre stage 2, it looked to be slipping away from O’Brien. The Liquidworx-Fitscience team controlled the race, shutting down the best that the Munster Sensa trio had to offer.
A five-man move that featured Tony Bourke (Galway Bay CC), David Nugent (Seven Springs CC), Padraig Marrey (Western Lakes CC), Chris Troy (Castlebar CC) and Marc Potts (Omagh Wheelers) pulled out 50 seconds at one stage but was also reeled in.
In the latter half of the morning road stage, the expected wave of attacks came thick and fast with Dunbar putting in some ferocious digs and O’Brien never too far away to counter, while Shanahan was always lurking with intent also before he crashed out.
Mark Shannon and Potts, along with Eddie Barry (Liquidworx-Fitscience) clipped away late, with the latter enjoying a free ride. But that move was pulled back to set up a bunch sprint.
That went to Ger Corcoran (Covey Westport Wheelers) who started his sprint early but had the strength to hold off a fast-finishing pack that was led in by Omagh’s Potts and Clarke.
Clarke then took the yellow jersey on count back going into this afternoon’s time trial. And with Shanahan forced out, the six remaining riders from the successful stage 1 escape started the test equal on time. O’Brien and Dunbar proved fastest of them to take a 1-2 overall.
Tour Of Connacht: Stage 3 TT Results
| 1 | Chris Troy | Castlebar CC | A1 | 00:10:55 | - |
| 2 | Dylan O Brien | Munster Juniors | A3 | 00:10:56 | at 01, |
| 3 | Eddie Dunbar | Munster Juniors | A3 | 00:11:09 | at 14, |
| 4 | Patrick Clarke | Liquidworx | A1 | 00:11:14 | at 19, |
| 5 | Cale Coen | Castlebar CC | A3 | 00:11:17 | at 22, |
| 6 | Daire Feeley | Donamon | A3 | 00:11:21 | at 26, |
| 7 | Tony Bourke | Galway Bay | A3 | 00:11:24 | at 29, |
| 8 | James Mc Creevy | Covey Wheelers | A3 | 00:11:28 | at 33, |
| 9 | Gareth Mc Cormick | Liquidworx | A1 | 00:11:29 | at 34, |
| 10 | Marc Potts | Omagh Wheelers | A1 | 00:11:30 | at 35, |
| 11 | Paul Mc Carter | Omagh Wheelers | A2 | 00:11:31 | at 36, |
| 12 | Derek Joyce | Galway Bay | A1 | 00:11:31 | at 36, |
| 13 | Paul Dunne | Ballina CC | A3 | 00:11:32 | at 37, |
| 14 | Mike Storan | Liquidworx | A1 | 00:11:34 | at 39, |
| 15 | Jason Prendergast | Liquidworx | A2 | 00:11:37 | at 42, |
| 16 | Padraig Marrey | Western Lakes | A1 | 00:11:38 | at 43, |
| 17 | Richard Meaney | Covey Wheelers | A3 | 00:11:39 | at 44, |
| 18 | Daviid Nugent | Seven Springs | A2 | 00:11:41 | at 46, |
| 19 | David Walsh | Covey Wheelers | A3 | 00:11:46 | at 51, |
| 20 | Mark Shannon | Visit Nenagh | A1 | 00:11:47 | at 52, |
| 21 | Ger Corcoran | Covey Wheelers | A3 | 00:11:49 | at 54, |
| 22 | Michael Stafford | Wexford Wheelers | A3 | 00:12:00 | at 1:05, |
| 23 | Joe Mulleady | Curlieu Wheelers | A3 | 00:12:01 | at 1:06, |
| 24 | Sean O Malley | Western Lakes | A1 | 00:12:04 | at 1:09, |
| 25 | Padraic Hughs | Western Lakes | A3 | 00:12:06 | at 1:11, |
| 26 | Donal Kelly | Galway Bay | A2 | 00:12:07 | at 1:12, |
| 27 | Anthony Murray | Subaru | A1 | 00:12:11 | at 1:16, |
| 28 | Darragh Mc Carter | Omagh Wheelers | A2 | 00:12:15 | at 1:20, |
| 29 | Stephen Murphy | Cunga CC | A3 | 00:12:21 | at 1:26, |
| 30 | Eddie Barry | Liquidworx | A1 | 00:12:23 | at 1:28, |
| 31 | Kieran Heneghan | Western Lakes | A3 | 00:12:24 | at 1:29, |
| 32 | Jimmy Dignam | Adamstown | A3 | 00:12:29 | at 1:34, |
| 33 | Paul Harrington | Dolmen | A3 | 00:12:34 | at 1:39, |
| 34 | Gary McDonald | Visit Nenagh | A2 | 00:12:38 | at 1:43, |
| 35 | Daragh O Mahoney | Munster Juniors | A3 | 00:12:41 | at 1:46, |
| 36 | Valerio De Bacco | Galway Bay | A3 | 00:12:41 | at 1:46, |
| 37 | Thomas Walsh | Castlebar CC | A3 | 00:12:44 | at 1:49, |
| 38 | Joe Noonan | Visit Nenagh | A3 | 00:12:44 | at 1:49, |
| 39 | Michasel Butler | Visit Nenagh | A1 | 00:12:51 | at 1:56, |
| 40 | Gary Moran | Castlebar CC | A3 | 00:13:13 | at 2:18, |
| 41 | Michael Walsh | Castlebar CC | A3 | 00:13:23 | at 2:28, |
Final General Classification
| 1 | Dylan O Brien | Munster Juniors | A3 | 04:02:22,0 | - |
| 2 | Eddie Dunbar | Munster Juniors | A3 | 04:02:35,0 | at 13, |
| 3 | Patrick Clarke | Liquidworx | A1 | 04:02:40,0 | at 18, |
| 4 | Derek Joyce | Galway Bay | A1 | 04:02:57,0 | at 35, |
| 5 | Mike Storan | Liquidworx | A1 | 04:03:00,0 | at 38, |
| 6 | Anthony Murray | Subaru | A1 | 04:03:37,0 | at 1:15, |
| 7 | Marc Potts | Omagh Wheelers | A1 | 04:06:24,0 | at 4:02, |
| 8 | Daire Feeley | Donamon | A3 | 04:06:45,0 | at 4:23, |
| 9 | Mark Shannon | Visit Nenagh | A1 | 04:06:45,0 | at 4:23, |
| 10 | Tony Bourke | Galway Bay | A3 | 04:06:48,0 | at 4:26, |
| 11 | Gareth Mc Cormick | Liquidworx | A1 | 04:06:53,0 | at 4:31, |
| 12 | James Mc Creevy | Covey Wheelers | A3 | 04:06:54,0 | at 4:32, |
| 13 | Paul Mc Carter | Omagh Wheelers | A2 | 04:06:57,0 | at 4:35, |
| 14 | Jason Prendergast | Liquidworx | A2 | 04:06:58,0 | at 4:36, |
| 15 | Paul Dunne | Ballina CC | A3 | 04:06:58,0 | at 4:36, |
| 16 | Padraig Marrey | Western Lakes | A1 | 04:07:04,0 | at 4:42, |
| 17 | Daviid Nugent | Seven Springs | A2 | 04:07:07,0 | at 4:45, |
| 18 | Ger Corcoran | Covey Wheelers | A3 | 04:07:15,0 | at 4:53, |
| 19 | Eddie Barry | Liquidworx | A1 | 04:07:17,0 | at 4:55, |
| 20 | Joe Mulleady | Curlieu Wheelers | A3 | 04:07:27,0 | at 5:05, |
| 21 | Padraic Hughs | Western Lakes | A3 | 04:07:32,0 | at 5:10, |
| 22 | Darragh Mc Carter | Omagh Wheelers | A2 | 04:07:41,0 | at 5:19, |
| 23 | Kieran Heneghan | Western Lakes | A3 | 04:07:50,0 | at 5:28, |
| 24 | Jimmy Dignam | Adamstown | A3 | 04:07:55,0 | at 5:33, |
| 25 | Paul Harrington | Dolmen | A3 | 04:08:00,0 | at 5:38, |
| 26 | Gary McDonald | Visit Nenagh | A2 | 04:08:04,0 | at 5:42, |
| 27 | Valerio De Bacco | Galway Bay | A3 | 04:08:07,0 | at 5:45, |
| 28 | Thomas Walsh | Castlebar CC | A3 | 04:08:08,0 | at 5:46, |
| 29 | Michasel Butler | Visit Nenagh | A1 | 04:08:17,0 | at 5:55, |
| 30 | Richard Meaney | Covey Wheelers | A3 | 04:12:24,0 | at 10:02, |
| 31 | Michael Stafford | Wexford Wheelers | A3 | 04:12:45,0 | at 10:23, |
| 32 | Stephen Murphy | Cunga CC | A3 | 04:13:09,0 | at 10:47, |
| 33 | Cale Coen | Castlebar CC | A3 | 04:13:26,0 | at 11:04, |
| 34 | Gary Moran | Castlebar CC | A3 | 04:13:58,0 | at 11:36, |
| 35 | Sean O Malley | Western Lakes | A1 | 04:14:23,0 | at 12:01, |
| 36 | Donal Kelly | Galway Bay | A2 | 04:17:33 | at 15:11, |
| 37 | David Walsh | Covey Wheelers | A3 | 04:17:53,0 | at 15:31, |
| 38 | Chris Troy | Castlebar CC | A1 | 04:17:56,0 | at 15:34, |
| 39 | Daragh O Mahoney | Munster Juniors | A3 | 04:23:01,0 | at 20:39, |
| 40 | Michael Walsh | Castlebar CC | A3 | 04:23:50,0 | at 21:28, |
| 41 | Joe Noonan | Visit Nenagh | A3 | 04:33:18,0 | at 30:56, |
