|
|
|
Last Updated: 2 Apr 2018 - 8:45:17 PM |
FENLON HOLDS OFF O’LOUGHLIN TO TAKE VETS CHAMPIONSHIP
By Shane Stokes
24 Jun 2012,
|
Email this article
|
Putting in one last kick after being clear for over half the race, 2011 runner-up Joe Fenlon fought back against Martin O’Loughlin to scoop gold in the veterans’ road race championships on Saturday.
Fenlon and third-placed rider Greg Swinand were caught by O’Loughlin inside the final kilometre but despite the latter being fresher, Fenlon had just enough left in the tank to scrape a very fine victory.
Swinand held off the fast closing bunch for third, adding bronze to the gold he won last year, while Brendan Whelan (Cycling Pursuits) and Colm Bracken (Murphy Surveyors) were fourth and fifth across the line.
“When we went around the corner, Martin O’Loughlin came up. He had crossed to the back of us,” Fenlon told Irishcycling.com afterwards. “He went by with about 200 to 250 to go, but he left a gap between himself and Greg. With about 100 to go, I said ‘this is it’.
“My legs were viciously tired at this stage and were getting cramped. I actually had to sprint in a higher gear because I couldn’t spin it. I put it into the twelve and just gave it everything I had. I wasn’t even sure after the line, but guys came up to me and said ‘well done, you got it.’”
O’Loughlin was very motivated to win the race, particularly as he works as a teacher at the Presentation secondary school which was situated beside the finish line. He said that he thought the chance was gone as the two leaders had a decent advantage, but then realised that they were watching each other rather than monitoring the gap.
“We could see them at thirty seconds, if they had kept their heads down on the last lap, we should never have got up there,” he said. “I looked with a kilometre to go, they were doing track stands in the middle of the road. I was getting a very good leadout there from Rory Wyley and Mark Kiernan was trying to get Colm Bracken up there. Then Cathal Millar came and did a huge turn.
“Suddenly I saw the two boys there and I took a huge risk around the last bend to get up to them. I started the gallop a little bit too early, I think, and Joe managed to get up to me and pip me on the line. He is a deserving champion, I am delighted for him – he has been going very well for a couple of years.”
Fenlon credited Swinand with helping ensure they stayed away, saying that the Usher IRC rider put in a big burst of pace when the bunch had almost closed. “We didn’t realise they were coming back that fast,” said the latter. “They got back on to us. I led it out from before the corner, Martin O’Loughlin got back to us and then Joe got by before the line.”
He had some consolation in taking bronze and also being part of the winning team. Fellow Usher IRC riders Sean Bracken and Dave Carroll were fifth and twelfth, and together they secured gold in that category.
How it played out:
On a damp, overcast day in Clonmel, 88 riders lined out for the veterans’ road race. They had nine 12.5 kilometre laps to cover for a total distance of 112.5 kilometres, and competed on a mainly flat course with some drags.
A nineteen man break went clear early on but was hauled back; after an hour of racing Liam Curran (Curran Racing), Peter Buggle (Rocky Mountain) and Robert Forest (Blarney CC) opened up a fifteen second gap. They were also reeled in, then approximately 45 kilometres after the start defending champion Greg Swinand (Usher IRC) and last year’s silver medallist Joe Fenlon (Dan Morrissey) opened a ten second gap. This went up to 35 second after 50 kilometres of racing, and then hovered around that point for some time as the bunch chased hard behind.
The 2009 champion Rory Wyley, Tony Brady (Franco Racing) and Tom Shanahan (Limerick) kicked clear and tried to close the gap. Four others came up to them, namely Fergus Whelan (Cycling Pursuits), Shem Cullen (Iverk Produce Carrick Wheelers), Martin O’Loughlin (Iverk Produce Carrick Wheelers) and Martin Cullinane (Comeragh CC), then 2010 victor Dave Peelo (Murphy Surveyors), John Horgan (St Finbarr’s), John Heverin (Clann Eireann) and Brendan McLoughlin (Blarney CC) also bridged.
The group didn’t work well together and five of those pushed ahead; Brady, O’Loughlin, Cullinane, Heverin and McLoughlin combined forces and were joined by Craig Sweetman (Stamullen M. Donnelly) soon afterwards. However by the end of lap six, they were still 50 seconds back and were reeled in by the bunch shortly before the finish line.
Liam Curran (Curran Racing) and John Heverin (Clann Eireann) were next to try but the peloton accelerated to end their move. Swinand and Fenlon were just 44 seconds ahead at that point, and the gap dropped further to 30 seconds. In response, they tried to raise their pace and were 31 seconds ahead of lone chaser Jonathan Gibson (unattached) at the start of the last lap. He closed to within 22 seconds, while Mark Kiernan (Murphy Surveyors) and Frank Dunne (Slaney CC) attacked the peloton and were 35 seconds back.
Up front, Swinand attacked Fenlon, was caught and then went again. He was unable to get clear and so the two resumed working together, driving towards the line. The gap was down to 23 seconds with three kilometres to go and it was clear that cooperation was necessary.
Heading into the final kilometre, the bunch was getting very close and O’Loughlin jumped across to the duo. He made the junction just before the final corner, went around the bend flat out and then opened up the sprint. However he made his move slightly too early and Fenlon was able to take his wheel, then gradually draw alongside him and pass him by the line. They took first and second, with Swinand netting the bronze medal and Brendan Whelan (Cycling Pursuits) leading home the rest of the 35 man front group.
Irish veterans’ road race championships, Clonmel:
1, Joe Fenlon (Dan Morrissey Speedy Spokes) 112.8 miles in 2 hours 48 mins 20 secs
2, Martin O’Loughlin (Iverk Produce Carrick Wheelers)
3, Greg Swinand (Usher IRC)
4, Brendan Whelan (Cycling Pursuits)
5, Colm Bracken (Murphey Surveyors)
6, Barry Griffin (Comeragh CC)
7, Craig Sweetman (Stamullen RC)
8, Brendan McLoughlin (Blarney CC)
9, Conchur O’Couaithlain (Wexford Wheelers)
10, Declan Hanrahan (World Wide Cycles)
11, Joe Heverin (Clann Eireann)
12, Dave Carroll (Usher IRC)
13, Denis Forest (Blarney CC)
14, Russell Treacy (St Finbars)
15, Chris Coyle (Castlebar CC) all same time
Team:
Usher IRC – Greg Swinand, Sean Bracken, Dave Carroll
|
|
|
|
