The opening shots in the 32nd edition of the M Donnelly Junior Tour went in favour of Dominic Schils of the Lotto Olympia Interbike team.
Yesterday evening’s opening stage was a time trial over 5.5kms on the Windy Gap, close to the Co. Mayo town of Castlebar.
Schils, who rode the event last year, blasted up the testing hill at 27mph leaving the oppostion in his wake. He was followed home in second place by John Cooper of the BCF West Midlands with Robin Wennekes of WV Eemland Holland in third place.
By a strange quirk of fate, conditions for the 67 competitors were very strange. At the start house at the bottom of the hill the weather was abysmal, with rain dancing on the ground and leaving the competitors tucked up in team cars were they waited for their call to the line. But strangely, three kilometres further up the climb, conditions were ideal with not a drop of rain in sight.
Best of the Irish was the current Junior All Ireland champion Charles Prendergast, who finished the test in 14th place, 22 seconds off the leader.
The Lotto Olympia Interbike Schils has set the bar for the remainder of the week. His team mates now find themselves in defence of the yellow jersey as they set out this morning for110 kilometres of racing.
Last year, Sam Bennett won the corresponding time trial and ultimately went on to savour overall victory thanks to the Trojan work of his team Stena Ireland team.
Irish champion Prendergast was pleased with his performance and is quietly confident that, on the roads around his native county, the Irish team will live up to expectations this week.
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M. Donnelly Junior Tour/Castlebar (Windy Gap) stage one 5.5kms.
1, Dominic Schils (Lotto Olympia Interbike) 7minutes 36 seconds
2, John Cooper (BCF West Midlands) at 7 seconds
3, Robin Wenneskes (WV Eemlamd Holland) at 9 seconds
4, Matt Bailey (BCF West Midlands) at 12 seconds
5, Robbert de greet (Tempo BMV Veldhoven) at 12 seconds
6, Atse Scholmeetsters (Hand in Hand Baal) at 12 seconds
Other:
14, Charles Prendergast (Stena Ireland) at 22 secs
Teams:
1, BCF West Midlands, 23 mins 22 secs
2, South Africa 1, at 14 secs
3, Lotto Olympia Interbike, at 29 secs
4, WV Eemland Holland 2, at 37 secs
5, Isle of Man, at 45 secs
6, Hand in Hand Baal, at 46 secs
Other:
10, Stena Ireland, at 1 min 18 secs
Stage Sponsor Ken Duff of Duffs Bar in Bray presents the 1st year junior jersey to Robin Wennekes, WV Eemland Holland 2
The Points (Green Jersey) goes to John Cooper, BCF West Midlands for the second fastest time
Ken Duff presents the winner Dominic Schils with the race leaders Yellow Jersey
The Podium after stage 1, John Cooper (Green Jersey), Dominic Schils (Race Leader), Robin Wennekes (White Jersey) and Ken Duff (Stage Sponsor)
Stage Sponsor Ken Duff with Stage Winner Dominic Schils at the finish on Windy Gap
