|
|
|
Last Updated: Jul 29th, 2008 - 12:58:42 |
PORTAFERRY 3 DAY: Report & Pictures
By email to IrishCycling.com
Jul 28, 2008,
|
Email this article
|
By Brendan Kirk with additional reporting by T. Campbell
Dromore teenager Sean Downey (Banbridge CC) scored an emphatic victory yesterday when he won the overall title in the sponsored Curran Portaferry 3 Day Stage race by fifteen seconds from Stephen O’Sullivan (My Home.ie/BDBC) with Kirk Sloan of the promoting club Ards CC a further two seconds in arrears.
Sean has been based in Agile, Switzerland at the Union Cycliste Headquarters where he has undergone intense training at the Academy. He clearly demonstrated in the time trial that his tender years he beat the highly rated Martyn Irvine for the top spot and laid down a marker for the final stage.
The race began on Friday night when the 64 starters did twenty laps of the Kirkistown Motor racing track. Martyn Irvine (Pezula Racing) just back from China was the winner from a ten man breakaway which was 1 min 11 ahead of the next group of 12 riders and the bunch at 2 mins 13. John Neill (Phoenix) was second with Stephen O’Sullivan third. Sloan was in the break in sixth place with the young pretender to the crown Downey back in nith place.
Irvine won two sprint primes to lead the points competition also, but on Saturday morning for stage two of the event held on the Loughdoo Road course he missed the break coming home in the bunch two minutes thirty seconds down on the stage winner and former team mate in the Peula colours, Adam Armstrong of (EuroCyclesEuroBaby). Downey, Sloan and O’Sullivan were second third and fourth on the stage.This united thenm at the top of the leaderboard. and this left them equal on time before the stage three time trial which finished at the top of Windmill Hill in Portaferry.
Youth triumphed over experience as Downey pedalled his fixed wheel time trial bike to victory on the stage. His time of 4minutes 23 seconds was one second faster than runner up Martyn Irvine but more importantly he took 15 and 17 seconds out of Sloan and O’Sullivan to take the yellow jersey.
Four riders raced into a lead in Sunday mornings Stage four held on the tough mountain Road circuit but none of them were a major threat to the first three overall. KirK Sloan (Ards) also attacked clear of the bunch and at one stage was race leader on the road but he was brought back with two six mile laps to go. Scott McDonald (Winning Solutions) won the stage from Peter Hawkins (Usher) and Simon Williams (Juiced Orchard) with Ryan Connor (Euro Cycles) fourth. Stephen O’Sullivan won the bunch sprint 44 seconds later. Williams moved above Irvine in the overall standings but Irvine had the consolation of winning the Points Competition
Some pictures from the event courtesy of Bronagh Kirk
 |
| 500 Motor Race Club of Ireland (Kirkistown Race Track) Stage 1 |
 |
| Martyn Irvine takes the win on Stage 1 |
 |
| Paul McMinn Ards CC |
 |
| The winning break on Stage 1 |
 |
| David Brennan Scott McDonald and Adam Armstrong |
 |
| Matty Blayney (North Down) |
 |
| Brendan Kirk |
 |
| Bunch finish on Windmill Hill Stage 2 |
 |
| Adrian Hederman 'enjoys' Windmill Hill |
 |
| Adam Armstrong takes STage 2 win with Sean Downey 2nd |
 |
| Michael Murray finish TT at the top of Windmill Hill on Stage 3 |
 |
| Simon Williams |
 |
| Gary Cranston |
 |
| Kirk Sloan |
 |
| Stephen O'Sullivan |
 |
| Jack Watson congratulates Sean Downey on the TT stage win |
 |
| Sean Downey just begins the climb at the finish of the TT stage |
 |
| Sean is on a fixed wheel bike |
 |
| Sean Downey reaches the summit of Windmill on his fixed wheel - taking the stage win and the yellow jersey |
PORTAFERRY 3 DAY RESULTS
Curran Transport Portaferry 3 Day
Stage 1 sponsored by Bikeworks 30 miles.
1. M. Irvine Ards CC 1hr 6 min 04seconds
2. J. Neill (Phoenix) same time
3. S. O'Sullivan My Home.ie same time
4. S. Williams Juiced Orchard same time
5. M. Ward (Usher) same time
6. K. Sloan (Ards CC) same time
Stage 2 sponsored by Active For Life (53miles RR)
1. A. Armstrong Euro Cycles 1hr 59mins 15secs
2. S. Downey Banbridge same time
3. K. Sloan Ards CCsame time
4. S. O'Sullivan My Home.ie same time
5. D. Brennan (Castlebar) @ 14 secs.
6. J. McMaster (Curran Racing) @ 2.35
Stage 3 sponsored by Bangor Garden Service (2 mile TT)
1. S. Downey Banbridge 4mins 23secs
2. M. Irvine Ards CC 4:24
3. R. Connor (EuroCycles) 4:28
4. A. Armstrong Euro Cycles 4:34
5. S. O'Sullivan My Home.ie 4:38
6. K. Sloan Ards CC 4:40
Stage 4 sponsored by A Slice of Heaven (37 miles RR Mountain Road Course)
1. S. McDonald Winning Solutions 1 hr 40 mins 23secs.
2. P. Hawkins Usher IRC same time
3. S. Williams Juiced Orchard same time
4. R. Connor EuroCycles @ 3secs.
5. S. O'Sullivan My Home.ie @ 44 secs.
6. M. Irvine Ards CC same time
FINAL GC
1. Sean Downey Banbridge CC J 4h50'49"
2. Stephen O'Sullivan MyHome.ie 1 4h51'04" 15"
3. Kirk Sloan Ards CC A 1 4h51'06" 17"
4. Adam Armstrong EuroCycles 1 4h52'11" 01'22"
5. David Brennan Castlebar CC 1 4h52'32" 01'43"
6. Simon Williams Juiced Orchard 1 4h52'59" 02'10"
7. Martyn Irvine Pezula Racing 1 4h53'25" 02'36"
8. Connor McAllister Ballymena RC 1 4h53'42" 02'53"
9. Gary Cranston East Antrim Audi 1 4h53'51" 03'02"
10. John Neill Phoenix CC A 1 4h53'52" 03'03"
Points Competition – 1. Irvine 24pts.; 2 Armstrong, 20; 3 S. Williams.
Bronagh Kirk would like to thank in partiular the overall sponsor Curran Transport of the three day event for their support in getting behind the Ards Cc club who delivered a very sporting event over three days. The organising committee behind the scenes who to a man and woman were absolutely superb. The man above for the glorious weather, St. John Ambulance the PSNI plus the Portaferry Gaelic Club for the facilities afforded to the club. The time keepers John O’Sullivan and Ron Martin, the fast results service by Ryan Edgar and the marshalling team headed by the Road Safety Officer Ronny Martin who deserves deserve credit for a great job. A special word of thanks to local Kircubbin man Peter Gilmore who did an immense amount of work prior to the race including arranging the new head quarters St Patricks GAA hall. Thanks also to other clubs who assisted with marshalling and driving race officials.
----------------------------------------------------------
IMAGES COPYRIGHT:
Any images included in this article remain the property of the photographer, by whom all rights are retained, 2008 ©. Use of images for electronic or print purposes is may be possible with the express, written permission of the photographer.
|
|
|
|
