It was action from the off in the 70 mile North Antrim coast stage, with defending Tour champion Martyn Irvine (Planet X), Australian Dean Windsor (Rapha-Condor-Sharp) and Lavery making a move virtually from the neutralised flag being lifted. They forged ahead up the first climb at Shanes Hill with Irvine taking the prime on his way to the overall AA sponsored King of the Hills jersey.
2009 race winner Martyn Irvine leads the three-man breakaway over Shanes Hill on the final stage of the Tour of the North - Picture courtesy Jim Lavery
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Their advantage went out to almost four minutes before the bunch eventually began to claw back their advantage on the Antrim coast road. Irvine lost contact on the final climb at Glenarriff, to be swallowed by the bunch on the run in to the finish, whilst the time checks were coming thick and fast on the run in through Cargan and Martinstown.
On the line Windsor edged the stage by a bike length from Lavery, with the stopwatches ticking away until the fifty strong bunch descended on the Frys road finish.
Lavery waited nervously at the finish line as the watches stopped on 1.37, giving him the win by a slender 18 seconds margin, a superb ride by the 19 year-old Dubliner and one of his biggest wins to date.
The Tour of the North`s first Australian stage winner, Dean Windsor wins the final stage in Ballymena - Picture courtesy Jim Lavery
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Haynes held on for second place, with Last 3rd and Windsor - the event`s first Australian Stage winner, moving up to 5th overall.
Lavery also wrapped up the IED Under 23 category for good measure whilst the Rapha Condor Sharp squad took the team award.
Result Stage 4 P&O Irish Sea Tour of the North. Ballymena-Ballymena
1 Dean Windsor Rapha-Condor-Sharp 70 miles in 2.44.09
2 Philip Lavery Cycling Ulster s.t.
3 Matt Cronshaw Rapha-Condor-Sharp @ 1.37
4 Fraser Duncan Eurpcycles
5 Jack Pullar Herbalife-Wheelbase
6 Andrew Hawdon Herbalife-Wheelbase all same time
ToN Final Stage. The main players in the final stage of the Tour of the North l-r Philip Lavery, stage runner up and event winner. Dean Windsor, Stage 4 winner. Matt Cronshaw 3rd on final stage. Martyn Irvine, 2009 race winner and 2010 King of the Hills winner - Picture courtesy Jim Lavery
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2010 winner Philip Lavery with his father Tosh and the winners trophy - Picture courtesy Jim Lavery
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Final Overall General Classification
1 Philip Lavery Cycling Ulster 9.04.01
2 H Haynes VC Ecosse @ 18 secs
3 T Last Sigma Sport-Specialized @ 24 sec
4 C McAllister Cycling Ulster @ 26 sec
5 D Windsor Rapha-Condor-Sharp @ 30sec
6 N Devoldere Decock Sportivo @ 33sec
7 D Downing Rapha-Condor-Sharp @1.44
8 A Armstrong Eurpcycles @ 2.05
9 B Greenwood Rapha-Condor-Sharp @ 2.20
10 W Vandermeiren Decock Sportivo @ 2.26
Under 23
1 P Lavery
2 T Last @ 24 sec
3 C McAllister @ 26 sec
4 A Dewaele @ 2.26
AA King of the HIlls
1 M Irvine 20 points
2 P Lavery 13
3 G Kinning 9
Teams
1 Rapha Condor Sharp
2 Decock Sportivo @ 2.54
3 Cycling Ulster @ 6.19
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Haynes Takes Yellow in P&O Tour (4 Apr)
Philip Lavery in the race leaders jersey - Picture courtesy Jim Lavery
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Former British champion Hamish Haynes, riding for the Velo Club Ecosse team takes over as leader of the 2010 P&O Irish Sea Tour of the North following his second place on todays gruelling 80 mile stage in Limavady won by Rapha Condor rider Matt Cronshaw.
They were part of a nine man group which forged ahead on the final 20 mile circuit after an exciting days racing which saw some major names in trouble on the hilly County Londonderry terrain.
Overnight King of the Hills leader Glenn Kinning was one of many casualties to lose contact on the snow capped Sperrin hills, as was three time race winner Ryan Connor.
Overnight leader Philip Lavery (Cycling Ulster), winner of stages 1 and 2 failed to make it a hat-trick, and lost over a minute and a half to the stage winners, dropping him to 5th place overall going in to tomorrows final stage in Ballymena.
Last years race winner Martyn Irvine (Planet X) takes over the AA King of the Hills competition lead, having been active on all of todays 6 climbs, despite suffering a puncture mid-stage.
Haynes will carry a 6 second advantage over Tom Last (Sigma Sport Specialized) with Ballymena man Conor McAllister holding 3rd at 8 seconds. McAllister and his brother Leo in 16th place will be at home on tomorrows final stage, as the race passes close to his front door in Glenarm high in the County Atrim hills.
Tom Last holds a 2 second lead over McAllister in the Under 23 competition, whilst Rapha Condor Sharp have over a minute in hand over Belgian outfit Decock Sportivo in the Team classification.
Tomorrows final stage will take in the North Antrim Coast, with a further three King of the Hills climbs before the winner will arrive at Fry`s road in Ballymena after 70 miles of racing.
Matt Cronshaw wins stage 3 in Limavady today - Picture courtesy Jim Lavery
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Result Stage 3 Sunday 4th April. Limavady
1 Matt Cronshaw Rapha Condor Sharp 80 miles in 3.22.12
2 Hamish Haynes VC Ecosse
3 Conor Murphy Eurocycles
4 Tom Last Sigma Sport Specialized
5 Niki Devoldere Decock Sportivo
6 Stephen Barrett Planet X
7 Conor McAllister Cycling Ulster
8 Stephen Gallagher Sigma Sport all same time
Overall Classification
1 Hamish Haynes VC Ecosse 6hrs 18min 33 sec
2 T Last Sigma Sport @ 6 Sec
3 C McAllister Cycling Ulster @ 8 sec
4 N Devoldere Decock Sportivo @ 15 sec
5 P Lavery Cycling Ulster @ 1.19
6 D Downing Rapha Condor @ 1.26
AA King of the HIlls
1 Martyn Irvine 13 points
2 C McALlister 9
3 C Murphy 7
Under 23
1 T Last
2 C McAllister @ 2 sec
3 P Lavery @ 1.13
Teams
1 Rapha Condor
2 Decock Sportivo @ 1.17
3 Cycling Ulster @ 6.19
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Day of changes at P&O Tour (3 Apr)
It was not just the weather that was changeable in todays second stage of the P&O Irish Sea Tourof the North, however the stage winner stayed the same as Dublin teenager Philip Lavery made it two in a row, winning the 75 mile road stage at Dundonald, sprinting home ahead of Rapha Condor star Dean Downing.
The pair had been part of a group that remained at the head of affairs from the big split in the Dree Hill climb at Dromara. 98 starters lined up for the tough test over the County Down roads, with Lavery in yellow following his Prologue win on Friday evening.
The one mile climb split the field in to three main groups, with groups one and two coming together shortly after the second climb at Castlewellan, won by twice king of the Hills winner Glenn Kinning, who was also first over the top at Sleive Croob.
On the run in to Comber the lead group of 14 was active over the closing miles, but it was Lavery who had the final say, winning by a bike length from Downing, with local Newtownards man Adam Armstrong taking third.
Philip Lavery winning stage 2 in Dundonald - Picture courtesy Jim Lavery
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There were numerous penalties issued for rule infringements throughout the day which impacted on the overall GC, which now sees Rapha Condor`s Dean Downing in Yellow for tomorrows stage at Limavady which has been altered due to lying snow and will see the 85 remaining riders tackle foru laps of a 20 mile circuit, with two climbs per lap.
Pictures courtesy Jimmy Lavery