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Last Updated: 2 Apr 2018 - 8:45:17 PM |
SEAN KELLY TEAM: Omloop De Kempen 1.2 Race Report
By Sean Kelly Team Rider
7 May 2006,
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| Sean Kelly Team reports are brought to you by www.dmcsports.ie |
Omloop De Kempen 1.2, 7th May 2006
The M-Donnelly Sean Kelly Team travelled to Holland on the morning of the 7th of May for a UCI 1.2 race, Omloop de Kempen. The team for the race was Mark Cassidy, Tim Cassidy, Micael Concannon, Eoin Concannon, Paídi O’Brien, Andrew McQuaid, Roger Aiken and Ciaran Kelly. Team manager was Michel Bogaerts, soigneur was Johan and guest appearance mechanic for the day was Noel Kelly, Ciaran’s father who was over visiting for the weekend. It was a welcome return for Paídi, who had won the junior version of this race way back in 2002.
It was a lovely warm sunny day for the race, although much to the dismay of most riders on the start line there was a sharp wind blowing. In flat exposed Holland this always meant gutter style pain.
The route for the race was a 100km lap, a 70km lap, a 9km lap then two 11km laps. The route was pan flat with a lot of small exposed roads, and also with two 8km sections of cobbles on the first two laps. However the cobbles were in good condition and had smooth paths on each side so they wouldn’t be as difficult as they sounded.
The race started at 12 on the button, after a neutralised lap through the town of Verhouten where the race was based, it was out to start the first lap. The pace was on from the km0 banner, with several line outs followed by ‘stalls’ in which the bunch was still travelling at over 45km/hr. With the pace so high no group was successful in getting away early.
Now I must describe Holland at this point. Racing a bike there is getting more and more dangerous. Every few hundred metres on the roads there is a new obstacle in your path, whether it be a speed bump, a flower pot, a staggered junction or some other barrier in your way. Needless to say with a bunch of 176 riders there were a few hairy moments. A lot of riders reckoned staying at the back of the bunch was a far safer bet than fighting to stay near the front, regardless of the danger of a split in the bunch. It wasn’t long before there was a gathering of riders at the back of the bunch all giving out about how dangerous the bunch was.
Anyhow in the race, as I said the pace was on from the gun and there were a lot of line outs, sometimes travelling at 60km/hr and over. After 55km, with riders fighting to get near the front for the start of the cobbles, there was a particularly hard crosswind section where the bunch started to split. Tim Cassidy and Andrew McQuaid were luckily placed near the front of the bunch and managed to avoid the split. Paídi O’Brien, Mark Cassidy and Micael Concannon were in the next group and all managed to get back into the front bunch just before the cobbles started. Eoin Concannon, Ciaran Kelly and Roger Aiken were less fortunate. All three riders were placed too far back in the bunch when the split happened, however they were all going well and pulled out a great ride to close the gap to the bunch to a agonizing 10metres but unfortunately the race hit the cobbles then and they were unable to close the remainder of the gap.
The cobbles were ridden at a fast pace, where the stronger riders went up the middle and the riders who fancied an easier ride stayed in the sidepath. After the cobbles five M-Donnelly riders were still in the front group. Although more misfortune hit the team here when Micael Concannon punctured and with speeds as high as they were it was mission impossible trying to get back on. Also after going back for bottles for the team, Tim Cassidy got caught too far back down the bunch, was caught behind a split and was unable to get back on.
After the cobbles the race was stuck in one long line in the gutter all the way to the feed zone which was placed just after the first passage through the finish line, after 101km. Left in the bunch were Paídi O’Brien, Mark Cassidy and Andrew McQuaid. Just after the feed zone the attacks started afresh. Mark Cassidy had just been brought back from an attack when the break went. He was very unlucky to miss it. After the initial break went there was a flurry of attacks with riders trying to bridge across to the break. It was pot luck whether riders in the bunch decided to chase you down or not. Some groups were allowed go, others weren’t. All three riders tried to get into chasing moves but were unsuccessful.. Then a very strange thing happened, after about 150km the bunch just stopped riding hard and crawled along at a snails pace. With the heat, the fact that the break had gone and the long distance of the race most riders were content to cruise into the finish. Unfortunately all three M-Donnelly riders still left in the race were stuck in this group and it was too late to get out of it.
The bunch cruised into the finish, did the 9km lap then were pulled from the race with the two 11km laps to go. With over 180km in the legs, it was a good days training if nothing else for the three boys.
Some pictures from the race courtesy of Noel Kelly
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| Sean Kelly Team reports are brought to you by www.dmcsports.ie |
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