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Last Updated: 6 Apr 2018 - 3:10:13 PM |
In the end it went right down to the wire on the final stage of the Tour of Connacht yesterday when Charles Prendergast of the Cunga CC team finally got his hands on the title.
It looked as though the former Junior Irish Road Race Champion had blown his chance of the title on stage two of the event. The 9kms time trial literally turned out to be a disaster for Charles. He had led the event as a result of his stage win on the opener on Saturday.
Charles had all kinds of mechanical trouble in the test and dropped to fifth place in the standings.
Going into the final test of 86kms over testing roads and the infamous ascent of the 'Windy Gap,' Charles set about re-arranging the leader board.
From the start of the stage, he set out his stall and went on the attack in a group of five, isolating the leader Ryan Sherlock of Cycleways, the victor in the time trial.
In the opening kilometers their advantage hovered on the minute marker with Sherlock having to mount a solo challenge in defence of his leaders jersey.
Mid-way through the stage the signs were ominous that he was losing his grip on the title as the bunch were in no mood to make little or no contribution to a determined chase.
With 20 kilometers to the finish Ryan had more or less conceded that his grip on the title was slowly but surely receding as the gap to the leaders was close to five minutes.
The final ascent to the summit of the gap was a real success story for Charles as he put over a minute plus into his breakaway companions, thus giving a mere three second victory over Robin Kelly of Waterford RC with local David Brennan of Castlebar TFH CC occupying the final podium spot.
The race leader Ryan Sherlock crossed the finishing line in arrears of three minutes forty one seconds.
Charles Prendergast was in jubilant mood at the presentation, “After the morning TT, I thought I had blown it. But I took the bull by the horns and went for broke on the final stage. Five us went clear including Robin Kelly and David Brennan who had well over minute of me in the standings. But the final ascent of the 'Gap' was the turning point for me and the rest is history.,” said Charles.
As for the runner up Robin Kelly “Well! I thought I had it in the bag when we came to the climb. I am not a noted climber. I just thought I had sufficient time on hand on Charles, but in the end it was that three seconds that separated us. To be honest after his misfortune in the TT , Charles turned out to be a worthy winner,” said Robin.
When I caught up with Ryan about his demise as race leader. “Winning the time trial in the morning was part of the plan. Charles' misfortune in the test plus had a fifty second cushion from stage one was part of the big picture. Yes, it is great to be in yellow going into the final stage, but today I could have done without it. You are just a magnet and everybody wants you to close down the attacks,” said Ryan.
Donal Harrington of Western Lakes came out on top in the A3 classification, with Liam Corcoran of Castlebar TFH Cycling Club the top junior.
The event was promoted by Connacht Cycling who were pleased that the Tour of Connacht got out of the traps and that next year it will again feature on the Irish cycling calendar.
Tour of Connacht - Stage Three
Castlebar-Castlebar (Windy Gap)-86kms
1 Charles Prendergast (Cunga CC), 2hrs.14mins.34secs;
2 Robin Kelly (Waterford RC), @.1.36;
3 David Brennan (Castlebar CC), @2.00;
4 Liam Frawley (Galway Bay), @2.35;
5 Derek Joyce (Galway Bay), @2.53;
6 Ryan Sherlock (Cycleways), @3.41.
FINAL OVERALL
1 Charles Prendergast, 4.51.33;
2 Robin Kelly @3;
3 David Brennan @50;
4 Ryan Sherlock, @1.45;
5 Liam Frawley, @5.08;
6 F. O'Muire (DID Dunboyne), @7.43.
1st A3 Donal Harrington (Western Lakes CC).
1st Junior Liam Corcoran (Castlebar CC).
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SHERLOCK TAKES LEAD AFTER TOUR OF CONNACHT TT
It was all change after stage two of the Tour of Connacht this morning when the overnight leader Charles Prendergast of Cunga CC dropped in the standings to fifth place. Now, in pole position for the final stage this afternoon is Ryan Sherlock of Cycleways.
Ryan powered to a win in the 9kms time trial on the Castlebar-Pontoon Road. Despite the cross winds, Sherlock had an advantage of 28 seconds over Chris Troy of the Castlebar Cycling Club with Robin Kelly of Waterford RC a further five seconds off Sherlock who heads into the final stage of 86kms.
The real sting in tail for this final stage is the climb up to the summit of the Windy Gap. As for Prendergast he is two minutes off the pace, all he can hope for is a stage win.
His demise in the TT was due to mechanical trouble. Sherlock's danger men are Fiachra O'Muire of DID Dunboyne CC, Robin Kelly of Waterford CC and David Brennan all within one minute of the leader.
Tout of Connacht
Stage Two-Castlebar Pontoon Road, 9kms.
1 Ryan Sherlock (Cycleways), 11mins.21secs;
2 Chris Troy (Castlebar CC), @28;
3 Robin Kelly (Waterford CC), @33;
4 David Brennan (Castlebar CC), @46;
5 Paul Keogh (Botecchia racing Club), @49;
6 Frank Dunne (Slaney CC), @1.o3.
Overall after two stages
1 Ryan Sherlock (Cycleways), 2.34.53;
2 Fiachra O'Muire (DID Dunboyne CC), @27;
3 Robin Kelly ((Waterford CC), @33;
4 David Brennan (Castlebar CC), @56;
5 Charles Prendergast (Cunga CC), @2.06;
6 Liam Frawley (Galway Bay CC), @4.39.
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PRENDERGAST TAKES LEAD IN TOUR OF CONNACHT
Charles Prendergast of Cunga CC opened his account in the premium division yesterday on a day when cycling was centre piece in the Olympics. But, Charles was on home turf in Co. Mayo and was first home on stage one of three in the Tour of Connacht.
After a testing 96kms which started and finished on the outskirts of Castlebar, Prendergast denied Fiachra O'Muire of DID/Dunboyne CC the spoils of victory. It could have been a fairy tale ending for Fiachra as he just made the start with minutes to spare, but it was the former National Road Race Champion who delivered the booty.
Robin Kelly of Waterford RC was just ahead of Ryan Sherlock in third place. That duo have a deficit on the leaders of fifty-five seconds.
On a day when the rain threatened to spoil the party in Co. Mayo, the action came at a rate of knots when the race organiser John Brennan on behalf of Connacht Cycling got the proceedings under way shortly after 15.30 with the red and green flag of the county (which hopefully on behalf the Mayo folk will be in Croke Park on the third Sunday of September when it is intended to bring back 'Sam' to Mayo. I'll spare the Mayo folk the last time it was in the county. Admittedly they have the Taoiseach of the country in their midst. So, in reality 'Sam; would not be out of place in 2012.
Leading the charge from the off was David Brennan of Castlebar CC who was joined by Prendergast and O'Muire as early as there as the first five kilometers.
Going through Newport they had established a lead of just over the minute mark. The bunch were not meandering along and it was obvious that the trio were not yet established as far as they were concerned.
As the trio headed through Keenagh with 36kms on the clock, the alarm bells stated to ring in the bunch. The first serious climb of the day their advantage was edging up and the first determined effort from the bunch to close down on the leaders was enacted by Ryan Sherlock, Robin Kelly, Jason Prendergast of Cunga CC, Liam Frawley and Derek Joyce both of Galway Bay, Liam Corcoran of Castlebar CC, and Donal Harrington of Western Lakes CC.
Their intentions were sound in chasing down the trio, but in the end it proved an ambitious move that failed to reel in the leaders.
Admittedly, Sherlock and Kelly did close in on Brennan who lost contact shortly after Newport on the final leg home.
Today, two stages are down for decision. A time trial and a road race. It would be brave to rule out Charles and Fiachra losing their grip, but cycling is unpredictable at times! Maybe there still is a twist on the road ahead this morning.
Chatting with Charles Prendergast after the stage. “It was tough out there. A good course with both Fiachra and David making a valuable contribution to the break. We just rode tempo,nobody missing their turn at the front. Whereas, I presume the bunch was at times going flat out and then tapering off. Now it is up to me to make a defence of the jersey and keep it in the Provence”, said Charles as he headed back home to Louisburgh.
Tour Of Connacht - Stage 1
Castlebar/Newport/Bofeemaun/Newport/Castlebar, 96.kms.
1 Charles Prendergast (Cunga CC), 2hrs.22mins.37secs;
2 Fiachra Muire (DID/Dunboyne CC), same time;
3 Robin Kelly (Waterford CC), @55secs;
4 Ryan Sherlock (Cycleways CC), same time;
5 David Brennan (Castlebar CC), @1.05;
6 Lam Frawley (Galway Bay CC), @3..54.
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