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Last Updated: 2 Apr 2018 - 8:45:17 PM |
O達RIEN THIRD IN MARTYN ASHFIELD CLASSIC ROAD RACE
By Shane Stokes
5 Apr 2004,
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| Maurice O'Brien |
Maurice O達rien got the Irish junior international campaign off to a fine start yesterday when he finished third in the Martyn Ashfield Classic road race in Wales, the first round of the Peter Buckley series.
The Hibernian Team Ireland rider was quickest of five sprinting for the final podium place at the end of the 70 mile event. The quintet finished two minutes and seventeen seconds behind Gareth Thomas (Welsh national team), with Dataphonics rider Ian Stannard holding off O達rien痴 group to take the runner-up position.
A total of 57 riders lined out for the event, which was ran off in windy and rainy conditions over seven laps of a ten mile circuit. Teams from Ireland, Scotland and Wales were in attendance, the latter squad featuring the tipped Geraint Thomas who was expected to be one of the main protagonists. He duly scarpered off on the climb midway around the second lap.
Thomas led for 2 laps before Ian Stannard (Dataphonics RT), Dale Appleby (Wales) and Tom Smith (City of Edinburgh) succeeded in bridging the gap. Shortly afterwards, though, Smith and then Appleby were dropped, leaving two up front.
A regrouping behind was followed by an attack by five riders, who set off with two laps to go to try to close up on the two leaders. O達rien, Richard Hepworth (VS Cycles), Andrew Hill (SIS), Stuart MacManus (Glasgow Wheelers) and Rowan Boswood (Mid Devon CC) cooperated very well to reduce their deficit, and after Stannard was dropped by Thomas these almost reeled in the first year junior by the finish.
Thomas continued riding strongly until the end, crossing the line two minutes clear of Stannard and a further seventeen seconds up on a fast-finishing O達rien and his fellow chasers. Mark Nestor was next best of the four-man Hibernian Team Ireland squad, placing twentieth.
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Martyn Ashfield Classic road race, Wales (round one of the Peter Buckley series)
1, Geraint Thomas (Wales)
2, Ian Stannard (Dataphonics) at 2 mins
3, Maurice O達rien (Hibernian Team Ireland) at 2 mins 17 secs
4, Richard Hepworth (Vs Cycles)
5, Andrew Hill (Science in Sport)
6, Stuart MacManus (Glasgow Wheelers)
7, Rowan Boswood (Mid Devon CC) all same time
8, Kristian Downs (Dataphonics)
9, Pete Williams (Ellan Vannin CC)
10, Peter Sargent (BC West Midlands)
11, Adam Kenway (Tunstall Wheelers)
12, Jon Mozley (Dataphonics)
13, Dale Appleby (Wales)
14, Andrew Tennant (Bikes 51 RT)
15, Richard Lambert (Rossington Wheelers)
16, Alex Atkins (Evans Cycles RT)
17, Ashley Whipp (Manx Viking Wheelers)
18, Stephen Rudkin (Science in Sport)
19, Chris Gould (Wales)
20, Mark Nestor (Hibernian Team Ireland)
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