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Last Updated: 2 Apr 2018 - 8:45:17 PM |
Liege – Bastogne – Liege, Espoir Race
Date: Monday 1st May 2006
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| Sean Kelly Team reports are brought to you by www.dmcsports.ie |
The M-Donnelly Sean Kelly team selected for the race consisted of Paidi O’Brien, Mark Cassidy, Micael Concannon, Eoin Concannon, Ciaran Kelly and Andrew McQuaid. The support staff for the day had Yves as manager, Franky as mechanic and Luc as soigneur.
The race is called Liege–Bastogne–Liege, like the Pro Tour version but really it should be called Bastogne – Liege as it starts in Bastogne and races to Liege. However at 180 km long the race still goes over many of the famous hills of the professional race. With 8 classified climbs, all roughly 3 to 4 kilometres in length, and many other non-classified ones it was going to be a hard day.
The team’s plan for the race were for Micael to stay near Paidi and look after him - both good climbers they were suited to stay with each other. Mark, also a good climber, had freedom to roam the bunch, stay out of trouble and hopefully be there at the end. For Ciaran, Eoin and Andrew, all three with good form at the moment but not gifted climbers, their mission was to try get into the early break.
The race started at 12.15 in cold weather with ominous clouds looming. The forecast was for rain and just as the race started it came, never too heavy but a depressing drizzle which lasted all day. All the Espoir World Cup races comprise start fields very similar to the Espoir World Championships, but the WC races in Belgium and Holland are very much treated like a World Championships by the Dutch and Belgians.
With over 200 riders in the bunch the pace from the start was very fast, Ciaran Kelly being the first to attack. The first 10km was along a big main road and the pace was too high for a break to gain any advantage. It did not deter people from trying though and there were some hairy moments in the bunch as people fought to get to the front. After about 10km the race turned right onto smaller, more hillier roads and a break of about 10 got away. Unfortunately no M-Donnelly Sean Kelly riders managed to get into it despite their numerous efforts, but several other big teams had missed the break so the break were never given too much advantage with the bunch still motoring along at a fast pace over very twisty and ascending roads.
The first ‘classified’ hill was after 88km. Between the break going and the 1st hill, Andrew McQuaid put his front wheel into a rider’s pedal after one of the several braking waves in the bunch avoiding a crash. After a wheel change and some time spent chasing in the cars he was back in the bunch. Furthermore Paidi O’Brien came down in a crash on a descent after about 75km, Ciaran Kelly waited for him and brought him back on, they were soon both back in the safety of the main bunch.
At the foot of the first climb, the Cote de Wanne, the break of ten had a small advantage over the bunch. The climb, being roughly 4 kilometres long and very steep in parts, split the race to bits here. On this hill 4 Rabobank riders went across to the break, next over the top was a bunch of about forty containing Paidi and Mark Cassidy. The next group over contained Micael Concannon. Then Eoin Concannon, Andrew and Ciaran were in the one of the several small groups chasing this group.
After a long descent the race went along a flat stretch for 5kms through the feed zone, but then the remaining hills were tackled in quick succession. Before the second classified hill Micael had managed to catch up to Paidi and Mark’s group, with Eoin, Ciaran and Andrew in the group behind. On the hill, the team car passed these three, gave them their jackets and left them to get to the finish, the three looking more now to get the training in and making sure they got the distance in the legs by getting to the finish as best they could. It was on this climb that Mark was distanced, he was on an off day and got into the team van. At the top of the hill Micael was in a small group chasing back onto what was left of the bunch, about 30 or so, where unfortunately he punctured and his race was over, his hopes and expectations of a good result were gone now. He got a new wheel from the team car, his jacket also and carried on riding to the finish. (Micael, Eoin, Ciaran and Andrew all finished the race but were unfortunately outside the time limit.)
At the pointy end of the race Paidi was still going very strong. After the Wanne the first group contained about 15, with Paidi being in the second group of about 30. This is how it stayed until the famously steep La Redoute climb, where riders from the front group started going south and riders from Paidi’s group pressing forward. Paidi was strong on La Redoute where his group split, with him being in the front half of it. By the summit 3 Rabobank riders were clear in front, with Paidi in the next sizeable group of roughly 15, with just a few riders who were in the original break in between both groups.
From the top of La Redoute there was 50 kilometres left to race, with some hard climbs still to go. The Rabobank riders were never to be seen again by the rest of the race, with all three finishing on the podium, with ex Junior Tour of Ireland winner Kai Reus winning the race. Paidi was strong until the end of the race always pressing forward while other riders got dropped. A few riders from his group managed to slip away near the finish on the Cote de Tilf and the Cote d’Ans, so he ended up sprinting for 8th place, finishing a very respectable 12th.
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| Sean Kelly with some of the riders at the team launch earlier this year |
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| Sean Kelly Team reports are brought to you by www.dmcsports.ie |
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