Seconds literally separate the top three on General Classification after stage three of the Martin Donnelly Junior Tour after yesterday’s third stage. Philip Lavery remains in pole position with his team mate of Stena Ireland Sam Bennett in second spot ahead of Christian Mark of the Isle of Man.
The juniors participants bridged a divide yesterday with the Veterans! The Irish Veterans Cycling Association kindly sponsored the stage and they would have been particularly proud that it served up good racing and the scenery was second to none in and around Achill Island.
The third stage which started and finished in Castlebar took in a 20km loop of Achill Island. Whilst Sam is not in the driving seat he has to be very pleased with his second stage win of the ‘tour’ yesterday. He held off the late challenge of the American Simon Lambert Lemay in the dash for the line with Philip Lavery in third place.
It was a pleasant surprise for the competitors to have at least the sun on their back as they started the third stage at ‘Key West.’
The race on it's way to Achill
But their was no respite for the contenders as straight from the drop of the flag, Mark Henegan of the Leinster Team stirred up the action by going off the front. Within two kilometres of racing, race leader Lavery was off the pack with Gavin Mannion, Nathan Brown, Simon Lambert Lemay all of Hot Tubes, Magnus Davidson of Scotland, Jack Kirk of BC Midlands and Dominic Schils of Dave Rayner.
The seven ahead missed the pile up after four kilometres when at least 17 competitors were literally brought to a halt when a number hit the deck. When everybody got going ahead there were literally at least five groups on the road. Going through Newport there was a general regrouping of the field, but it was also the location for the first puncture of the day to Robert De Greef of Tempo BMV Veldhoven
The stage was now being led by Mannion Lemay, Aaron Murray of Scotland, Dillon Byrne of North England and Yannick Tempo BMV Veldhoven . Just before ‘Nevins Bar’ Sjors Salentijn also of Tempo BMV Veldhoven suffered the same fate of his colleague De Greef, but the two combined to make it back to the main group which now a had a break of six ahead at Mulranny.
It included the race leader, Sam Bennett, Nick Bax, Dominick Jelfs BC West Midlands, Chris Whorral of the Isle of Man and Nathan Edmonson of the Dave Reynor Team. As the race swung left at Curran things started to hot up with both the pace and the narrow roads which made life awkward for any team cars to get up into pole position to service their riders. As the entourage headed across the bridge onto the island the racing livened up.
(Achill, Ireland’s largest offshore island and one of the most spectacular is joined to the mainland by a bridge at Achill Sound. The island is 22km long and 19km wide and has a population f around 3,000. Achill is part of the Irish speaking Gaeltacht area.)
ACHILL ISLAND: The cliff and coastal scenery in Achill is amongst the most dramatic in Western Europe with sheer lofty cliffs rising from the ocean below.
Stunning is not too strong a description for this cycle that took the cyclists along the stupendous coastline overlooking the wild Atlantic Ocean.
Also the roads weave around hairpin bends, and traversing mile after mile of glorious scenery.)
The leaders on the main climb of the day
Naturally, the cyclists were not aware of the beauty and the scenery of the island as they were intent on focusing on the road ahead and keeping their wits about them as the speed intensified. It was obvious that this terrain was having a big effect on the riders as they now started to form into groups of three and four such was the speed that was being applied by the leading group.
At the KOH prime the American Nathan Brown of Hot Tubes gained the maximum number of points as he led the race over the prime. At the penultimate descent just before the village whilst into the lead Dillon Byrne North of England and Dan McLay hit the deck. McLay made the best fist of getting back on his machine and regrouped with the 11 competitors who were now the leaders on the road.
Whilst Byrne made it into a quintet which included Marcus Christie of Usher Irish Road Club who had been involved in the first crash of the day. Christle was still intent on chasing down the dozen leaders and set off on a solo run to bridge the gap, but it was all in vain. But, at least singularly he brought his group across the finishing line.
Up front the attacks were coming quick and fast and a valiant attempt by Dominick Schils at Newport where he gained 50 seconds on the group came to nothing when he ran out of puff with 10kms to go.
On the run in five of the 12 were in contention, but the day belonged to the green tunics of Stena Ireland with Sam Bennett winning the stage and Philip Lavery retaining the yellow jersey. Yesterday’s group of 12 look as though they hold the key to success of the 31st edition of the ‘JT.’ As regards a team prize, the Dave Reynor squad are certainly the most successful with their complement of four in the top 12.
At the half way stage for the first time in many years the locals are on the front line and with no cracks in the armourer!
The Stena Ireland had a good day today
Today the ‘JT’ makes yet another piece of history with a stage finish in Ballycastle.
Martin Donnelly Junior Tour
Stage three/Castlebar-Achill Island-Castlebar, 110.8kms
Details:
1 Sam Benett (Stena Ireland), 3hrs.16mins.15secs;
2 S. Lambert Lemay (Hot Tubes), same time;
3 P.Lavery (Stena Ireland), st;
4 M. Christian (Isle of Man), @2secs;
5 D. Schils (Dave Rayner Team), @4secs;
6 J. Segers (Tempo BMV Veldhoven), @29secs;
7 D. Jelfs (BC West Midlands), st;
8 C. Whorrall (Isle of Man), st;
9 T. Skubala (Dave Rayner Team), st;
10 G. Mannion (Hot Tubes), st.
After a super day of racing Gavin Mannion (Hot Tubes) goes into the White Jersey as leader of the first year junior category
Philip Lavery gets presented with the Yellow Jersey from his father Tosh who is representing todays Stage Sponsors the Irish Veteran Cyclists Association
