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Last Updated: 2 Apr 2018 - 8:45:17 PM |
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| The weather conditions were very harsh at times |
Multiple national champion Robin Seymour made sure of his selection for his third Olympics this Summer when he finished second in the last of three races determining which Irish rider will get the nod.
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| Bibby wins the third round of the K-Capital Cup series |
He came home 1 minute 14 seconds behind Ian Bibby (British Cycling) in the third round of the K-Capital Cup series, which was held on Sunday in Djouce Woods in Wicklow.
David Fletcher (British Cycling) was 1 minute 42 seconds behind Bibby, netting third. With Seymour’s two rivals for the Olympic slot, Niall Davis and Conor McConvey, placing fourth and seventh, the Team Worc rider extended his points lead in the selection events and ensured he will ride another Olympic Games.
“It was very cold out there today,” said Seymour afterwards. “There were a few river crossings as well…your feet get wet and it sends the cold up.
“I was over one minute clear at one stage, but I was tired from setting up the course. I worked really hard on it in the last week, and I am also working full-time now too… That has taken its toll a little bit.”
Seymour started fast and opened up a gap on his rivals. He was 15 seconds ahead of Bibby by the end of lap one, with Conor McConvey, David Fletcher and Niall Davis 26 seconds, 59 seconds and 1 minute 18 seconds back respectively. One lap later he was 1 minute 27 seconds up on Feltcher; Bibby was a further second back after being delayed when his pedal worked loose. Davis was fourth and McConvey had slipped down to seventh due to a puncture.
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| Ian Bibby stops to get his pedal tightened |
However Bibby gradually reeled in the Team WORC/Colnago rider, who was fading as the race went on. “The legs were gone about halfway through the third lap,” said Seymour, who felt his designing of the course was a big factor in a lack of endurance. “It was the same in the other race that I set up, in Kilruddery. I just really struggled.
"To be fair to Ian, he was riding really well in the technical stuff today, far better than I have seen him ride it in the past. He was very, very strong.
“From that point of view, you’re just not going to get away with it if you are not 100%. I had the speed for two laps anyway, so I suppose I am happy.”
Bibby had finished fourth in the first round of the K-Capital Cup in Kilruddery, but everything worked out better for him on Sunday. He limited his losses early on, then overcame mechanical problems to get back on terms. “I started off all right and I got quite close to him on the second lap,” he said. “But then I had a bit of a mechanical…the pedal fell off. I had to stop and tighten it up again, then take the lap a bit steady because didn't want it coming off again. I got it fixed [back at the pits]. I was in third or fourth place then. I did a really hard lap to get close to Robin and caught him on the fourth.
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| Bibby chases Fletcher after his stop |
“He is so fast downhill that I had to get by him on the climb and then try and hold off on the descent to stop him getting away.”
Seymour had been just 15 seconds ahead at the start of the final lap. Bibby had more left in the tank, something he credited to his tactic of holding back early on. “I tried to pace myself and ride my own race quite a bit, so I didn't slow down towards the end,” he explained. “I try to get a bit faster as the race went on but with the mechanical, it didn't go to plan. I think I did go a bit quicker in the last two laps. I was climbing quite well, too.”
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| Bibby chases hard |
His team-mate David Fletcher was impressed with the event, and pleased with his third place. This was a good improvement on the seventh place he achieved in the first round held last month in Kilruddery. “The race was really good, the course was great. It was a lot better than the first round. It was bit more of a World Cup-standard course," he said.
“The race went quite well for me. I started off quite slow, just to get through the first two laps. I struggled a bit on the third lap, then I had a tussle with Niall on the last lap to keep my place.” Fletcher eventually finished 11 seconds clear of Davis.
“The Olympic campaign didn’t go so well,” said Davis. “I was in New Zealand over the winter and I picked up a chest infection travelling back. I was a bit ill before the first race and was on antibiotics up until last Friday. Also, the courses were a little more technical than I might have liked. There was quite a bit of controversy with the selection process as well so that got in at me too.
“I am looking forward to Europeans and the Worlds…they are the main targets for the rest of the year. They are in mid May and mid June, so I’ll just take the next races as they come. I will do a big base before Europeans, the worlds are really the big goal.”
McConvey was the third rider in line for the Olympic slot, although missing the first round due to a broken shoulder meant that his task would be a very tough one. Irishcycling.com also spoke to him after the race. “Although mathematically it was still possible to qualify, I had to win the two races [rounds two and three],” he said on Sunday. “Really, doing two when everybody else had done three is very tough - any bad luck and it wasn't happening.
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| Conor McConvey gets going after his stop |
“I rode Moneyscalp and had the form of my life; I was really, really strong, but tactically I screwed up the race. I came here today determined that the same thing wouldn't happen. I was happy with how the start went, then had a mechanical problem.
“I went quite deep at the start, I planned to push hard for the first lap and try to limit my losses to Robin on the descents because he is quick there. By the end of the second lap, at the end of the descent he was 20 or 25 seconds ahead…then I had a slice in my tire. I fixed it, I got about two minutes up the road and then it went again.”
McConvey was losing time at a crucial point of the race, but his bad luck wasn’t finished. “I mended it once more and the same thing happened. So I had two punctures fixed but still a problem…it was a nightmare. I basically just flatted it from the very bottom of the course up to the pits and changed my wheel there. By then the race was over, really. I was down in sixth or seventh.”
He feels he would have otherwise been in the running for the victory. “Before the puncture, I was riding really well with Ian Bibby and he went on to win it,” he said. “So I definitely would have been up there. The plan was really just try and limit the losses at the start and then to use my strength to come through at the end. With Robin, he is strongest at the technical aspect of it but that doesn't necessarily pay off at the end.”
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| Christof Bischof |
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| Joe McCall (Team Worc) |
Seymour will now go on to participate in his third Olympic Games. He finished the K-Capital Cup series with a clear margin over Davis and McConvey who, together with Seymour, had secured a single slot for an Irish rider thanks to their combined world ranking points total.
As was the case for the women before Athens 2004, a three-race ride-off was used to select the Olympic rider. Seymour’s final total was 80 UCI points, well clear of the 32 amassed by Niall Davis and Conor McConvey’s 21.
In terms of the points up for grabs in the K-Capital Cup standings,Seymour, Davis and Bibby lead with 80, 51 and 48 points respectively.
“I am delighted,” Seymour said. “I think it is good. I’m a bit tired after running around the place, working on the course. I know that it might suit me, but I think the course suits the other two in some ways as well. To be honest, I wasn’t on a great day but they were not beating me anyway.
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| Second place for Seymour seals his Olympic place |
“I am delighted,” he said. “I think it is good. I’m a bit tired after running around the place, working on the course. I know that it might suit me, but I think the course suits the other two in some ways as well. To be honest, I wasn’t on a great day but they were not beating me anyway.
“Actually, I haven’t really ridden all that well, I don’t feel like I have been fantastic in any of the three races. I had a virus in the second one and I really did as little as I could. I was tired in the other two from setting them up, so I haven’t really been good in any of the races.”
“I would have said maybe last year that I would prefer it if somebody else was going to take it up, but I think they have to jump up that level, to actually be at that level. If they are not going to be up there, there is no point…because as quick as they might think I am riding here, it is just planets off what it will be like in the Olympics.”
Seymour is working with an importer of motor homes but said that he should be able to prepare for the Olympics now it is confirmed that he will be going. He feels his form will improve because of this, and also because he will be resting better than now.
“I put an awful lot of work into these races, apart from anything else, and the training has suffered,” he said. “Of course, the recovery has suffered as well. I’m just not getting out for long spins any more, it is maybe one a week and it is not enough. But I will just have to plan my time now. Now I am finished organising the races I can just do my own thing.”
He said that the turnout for the events has been a big boost to mountain biking in Ireland. “The races have been fantastic, we had 260 riders in the first race and we had over 200 in this as well. That is an achievement in itself, it has made a big difference to the sport. I am really happy from that point of view.
“We had a great field today, with about 13 international riders at it. In all, we had nearly 25 riders in the elite race, that would have been just unheard of for years ago when I was riding around on my own. It really has come on leaps and bounds, it is fantastic.”
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| Fletcher takes third |
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| Bischof is fifth, one place behind Niall Davis |
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| Ross Creber finishes |
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| Melanie Spath is first woman |
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| Seymour: Beijing-bound |
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K-Capital Cup round 3 (class 2), Djouce Co., Wicklow, Ireland, April 6:
Elite men:
1, Ian Bibby 1.46.09
2, Robin Seymour 1.14
3, David Fletcher 2.56
4, Niall Davis 3.07
5, Christof Bischof 4.01
6, Ross Creber 4.18
7, Conor McConvey 6.20
8, Ryan Sherlock 12.05
9, Joe McCall 12.41
10, George Hudekova 13.05
11, Jochen Cochonelli 14.16
12, Micke Haggquist 17.17
13, Richie Felle 22.54
14, Dave Barry 25.40
15, Philip Roche 39.19
DNF: Graham Boyd
DNF: Lee Williams
DNF: Evan Ryan
DNF: Kevin Calhoun
DNS: Ollie Beckingsale
Elite women:
1, Melanie Spath 1.50.20
2, Tarja Owens 5.20
3, Fona Barrett 20.46
4, Anne Duffy 34.37
Behind one lap
5, Sadhbh Baxter
DNS: Beth McCluskey
Junior:
1, Neil McGimpsey 1.38.50
2, Conal Higgins 28.57
3, Tadgh Griffin 31.29
4, Chris Cameron 36.47
DNF: Andy Burns
DNF: Paul O'Reily
DNF: Liam McGreevy
DNF: Jonathan Beers
Expert men:
1, Oisin Boydell 1.40.49
2, Donacha O'Brien 2.57
3, Tim James 3.41
4, Michael Holland 7.43
5, Luke Manning 8.57
6, Dave O'Neill 10.35
7, Mark Driver 11.14
8, Stephen Scrivener 13.27
9, Luke Smaul 13.54
10, Robert Magee 14.39
11, Rob Whelan 18.30
12, Darragh Maloney 20.18
14, Ross Galway 21.03
15, Daniel Morrogh 24.50
16, Conor Clinch 25.15
17, Oliver Castle 28.53
Behind one lap
18, David O'Brien
DNF: Oisin Fitzgerald
DNF: Alfie Wallace
DNF: Keith Arking
Masters:
1, James McCluskey 1.33.52
2, Mark Allen 2.34
3, Peter O'Farrell 4.08
4, John Mason 4.33
5, Rory Walsh 10.07
6, Stuart Galloway 11.21
7, Noel Carr 12.14
8, Andrew Newmann 12.43
9, Conor Campbell 12.59
10, Fergal Kilkenny 13.43
11, Clive Caldwell 16.13
12, Asa Redmon 17.30
13, Keith Meghan 18.45
14, Andrew Wallace 19.46
15, Brian O'Neill 20.01
16, Paul Ferguson 20.47
17, Stuart Hannon 21.52
18, Colm McGarvey 24.21
19, Martin O'Hagan 25.13
20, Peter O'Loughlin 26.46
21, Morgan O'Connell 28.51
22, Jer Price 30.17
23, Graham Diamond 32.03
24, Paddy Daly 33.33
25, Mark Kenny 33.34
26, Arladiusz Gogojewicz 34.04
27, Stewart Carr 39.33
28, Vincent Price 44.39
29, Conor [Unknown] 46.48
30, Glenn Armstrong
31, Unknown 48.43
DNF: Gerry McMemey
DNF: David King-Smith
DNF: Oscar McCananey
DNF: Niall Donovon
DNF: John O'Reilly
DNF: Richard Close
DNF: Paddy O'Brien
DNF: Kelvin Hughes
DNF: Gordon Lucas
Veteran:
1, Aidan McDonald 1.03.51
2, Paul McMenamam 1.24
3, Mike Jordan 3.12
4, John Dorris 3.18
5, Ken Farrar 5.34
6, Padraig Bonny 7.38
7, Simon Curry 9.22
8, Steve Nicholson 10.55
9, Eamonn McCary 11.10
10, Conal Higgans 11.33
11, Richie Byrne 11.42
12, Paul Keogh 12.16
13, Hanus Vitezslan 14.01
14, Paul Anderson 14.09
15, Jon Runciman 14.57
16, Paul Coyne 15.09
17, Aidan Ryan 15.13
18, Maurice Hoyne 28.51
19, Ian Gormley 34.38
20, Declan Hanrahan 46.59
Sport men:
1, Kevin Stanley 1.03.15
2, Mathew Highmott 1.06
3, Alan Ryan 3.33
4, Mark Dolan 4.04
5, Brendan O'Rosaidh 6.53
6, Geoff Robinson 7.59
7, Brian O Donmer 8.18
8, Pelan Limmer 8.20
9, Charles Sheridan 9.10
10, Marcin Klimner 9.51
11, Michael Flannagan 9.57
12, Shane Geoghgan 10.33
13, Ken Nally 11.01
14, Ronan Corrigan 11.19
15, Eoin Marshall 12.16
16, Peter Campbell 12.31
17, David Neill 12.40
18, Gareth Maguire 13.20
19, Darragh O'Connor 13.36
20, Niall O'Connor 14.18
21, Cornelius Duffy 14.29
22, Rudolf Brinkman 15.27
23, Martin O'Reilly 15.30
24, Mark Kidd 16.04
25, Richard Wahstaff 16.18
26, Martin Grimley 16.37
27, Andrew Boland 16.40
28, Matthew Casey 16.53
29, Colm Easter 17.22
30, R Osillos 17.43
31, Donagh O'Keffe 19.31
32, Niall Colman 19.37
33, Steve Maugh 20.02
34, Greg May 20.09
35, Paul Crowley 20.34
36, John Taylor 21.04
37, Tony Kelly 22.48
38, Ben Marchant 23.02
39, David Conway 23.30
40, Barry O'Brien 23.36
41, David Furlong 23.40
42, Paul Barry 23.59
43, Shane McCauley 24.53
Behind one lap
43, Pat McLean
43, Paul Redmon
43, Krystian Bolavec
43, Kelvin Hughs
43, Alan Stafford
43, B May
43, Eoin Kelly
43, John Grifferty
43, Mick Farrell
43, Andrew Adair
43, Nigel McConnell
43, James Keenan
43, Vincent Roche
43, Ciaran Scannon
43, unknown unknown
43, Dean MacGabmann
43, Marcus Murphy
Behind two laps
43, David Askin
43, Alan Claffey
43, John Ormonde
43, Brian Keaveny
43, Michael O'Neill
43, Peter Coyne
43, Dermot Phillips
43, Derek Mulvey
43, Rafael Koos
43, Steven Franquoni
Sport women
1, Rachel Wisdom 1.22.44
2, Silvia Gallagher 4.18
Behind one lap
3, Aisling Corkery
4, Jakie O'Hagan
5, Rachel Gansedach
DNF: Unknown
DNF: Martina Hanklova
DNF: Sadhbh Ni Hogain
Overall standings after three rounds
Elite Men:
1, Robin Seymour, 80 pts
2, Niall Davis, 51
3, Ian Bibby, 48
4, Adrian Lansley, 41
5, Ryan Sherlock, 39
6, Lee Williams, 37
7, David Fletcher, 35
8, Conor McConvey, 35
9, Oliver Beckingsale, 30
10, Ross Creber, 27
11, David Barry, 27
12, Richie Felle, 25
13, Joe McCall, 24
14, Christoph Bischof, 16
15, Graham Boyd, 16
16, Evan Ryan, 16
17, Patirck Gaudy, 14
18, Gareth Montgomery, 13
19, Jorgen Flion, 12
20, George Hudekova, 11
21, Jochen Cochonelli, 10
22, Micke Haggquist, 9
23, Cedric Gaudy, 8
24, Philip Morris, 8
25, Philip Roche, 6
26, Simon McConnell, 6
Elite Women:
1, Melanie Spath, 60 pts
2, Anne Duffy, 43
3, Beth McCluskey, 30
4, Tarja Owens, 25
5, Ciara McManus, 25
6, Fiona Barrett, 21
7, Sadhbh Baxter, 16
Junior Men:
1, Neil McGimpsey, 72 pts
2, Liam McCreevey, 60
3, Paul O'Reilly, 50
4, Conal Higgans, 43
5, Tadgh Griffen, 36
6, Chris Cameron, 34
7, Johanathan Beers, 18
Expert Men:
1, Oisin Boydell, 81 pts
2, Luke Manning, 66
3, Tim James, 52
4, Donnacha O'Brien, 46
5, Luke Smaul, 44
6, Daragh Maloney, 33
7, Dave O'Neill, 31
8, Jack Richards, 30
9, Michael Holland, 28
10, Neil Summers, 27
11, Stephen Scrivener, 25
12, Ross Galway, 24
13, Oliver Castle, 20
14, David O'Brien, 16
15, Alfie Wallace, 14
16, Mark Driver, 14
17, Robert Magee, 11
18, Earl McClenaghan, 11
19, Rob Whelan, 10
20, Stephen Collier, 9
21, Peter Stanley, 8
22, Daniel Morrogh, 7
23, Keith Arkens, 6
24, Conor Clinch, 6
Master Men:
1, James MCluskey, 85 pts
2, Rory Walsh, 55
3, Peter O'Farrell, 51
4, Mark Allen, 41
5, Andrew Newman, 41
6, Fergus Kilkenny, 39
7, Andrew Wallace, 31
8, Clive Caldwell, 30
9, Sean Herlihy, 29
10, Noel Carr, 28
11, Gordon Lucas, 25
12, Conor Campbell, 25
13, Asa Redmond, 24
14, Damien Mulcrone, 21
15, John Mason, 18
16, Keith Meghan, 18
17, Oscar McCananey, 17
18, Stuart Galloway, 15
19, Brian O'Neill, 15
20, Martin O'Hagan, 11
21, Morgan O'Connell, 9
22, Colm McGarvey, 8
23, Eoin Fitzgerald, 8
24, Dave O'Shea, 8
25, Aron O'Donaghue, 7
26, Jer Price, 6
27, Paul Ferguson, 5
28, Stuart Hannon, 4
29, Conor Clonliff, 4
30, Ruairi Devoy, 4
31, Richard Close, 3
32, Glen Armstrong, 2
33, Peter O'Loughlin, 1
34, Robert MCGee, 1
35, Peter Rimmer, 1
Veteran Men
1, Aidan McDonald, 85 pts
2, Paul McMenamin, 51
3, Ken Farrar, 44
4, William Mulligan, 43
5, John Dorris, 39
6, Gerry McCabe, 37
7, Johnny McCabe, 33
8, Simon Curry, 30
9, Peter Buggle, 30
10, Steve Nicholson, 27
11, Andy Burns, 27
12, John O'Reily, 26
13, Paraig Bonnie, 25
14, Conal Higgans, 23
15, Mike Jordan, 21
16, Richie Byrne, 19
17, Brian Keogh, 17
18, Paul Keogh, 15
19, Declan McCabe, 15
20, Eammon McConvey 2, 13
21, Peter McConville, 13
22, Jon Runciman, 10
23, Eoin Keith, 10
24, Paul Anderson, 9
25, Hanus Vitezslan, 8
26, Paul Coyne, 5
27, Aiden Ryan, 4
28, Frank O'Rourke, 4
29, Maurice Mayne, 3
30, Ian Gormley, 2
31, Declan Hanrahan, 1
Sport Men
1, Matt Hicknott, 55 pts
2, Mark Solon, 53
3, Kevin Stanley, 46
4, Alan Ryan, 46
5, Sean Connonlly, 35
6, Douglas Shearer, 30
7, David Askin, 24
8, Matt Casey, 23
9, Michael Flanagen, 21
10, James Pittam, 21
11, Justin Reid, 21
12, Geoff Robinson, 20
13, Ronan Corrigan, 19
14, Mark Laverty, 18
15, Brendan O'Rosaidh, 16
16, Alan Bingham, 16
17, Gareth McKee, 15
18, Joesph Pittam, 15
19, Brian O'Donnel, 14
20, Peter Limmer, 13
21, Shane Geoghan, 13
22, Tom Pittam, 13
23, Charles Sheridan, 12
24, Mark Potts, 12
25, Martin Klinger, 11
26, Ken Nally, 11
27, Brian Cox, 11
28, Eoin Marshall, 10
29, Barry Douglas, 10
30, Ewan Doherty, 9
31, Martin Grimley, 8
32, Niall O'Connor, 8
33, Ronnie Ogilby, 7
34, Peter Campbell, 6
35, Darren Cox, 6
36, Johnathon McKee, 5
37, David Neill, 4
38, Gareth Maguire, 3
39, Stephen Prentice, 3
40, Darragh O'Connor, 2
41, Laim Howard, 2
42, Steven Stuart, 2
43, Ben Marchant, 1
Sport Women
1, Rachel Wisdom, 73 pts
2, Aisling Corkery, 55
3, Lynda Haug, 55
4, Nicola Oldham, 42
5, Amber Atkinson, 30
6, Harriet Mayne, 25
7, Silvia Gallagher, 25
8, Jenny Kilbride, 21
9, Valarie O'Neil, 21
10, Jakie O'Hagan, 18
11, Rachel Gansedach, 16
12, Julie Watt, 16
13, Inga Doak, 15
14, Julie Watt, 14
15, Sadhbh Ni Hogan, 13
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