Martin Ayres
WITH two days of the 2011 An Post Rás completed, the five-man Mayo Western Edge team were all in good shape and in contention for the county team and individual prizes.
Sunday’s opening leg saw the Mayo team — all drawn from Castlebar CC — enjoy their best day on the Rás since making their debut in the event three years ago. The 148-kilometre stage from Dunboyne to Portumna ended in a bunch sprint with the Castlebar lads well to the fore.
While stage victory went to British pro’ Dean Downing, Mayo’s Chris Coyle flashed across the line 18th in a field of 170, David Brennan was 42nd at four seconds and Ciaran Clarke 67th at 17 seconds.
It meant that Mayo took second place in the 18-strong team classification, just four seconds behind leaders Dublin Eurocycles. And Coyle, at 39 the senior man in the side, was the leading Irish category 2 rider.
The other two team members were Bernard Twomey, 141st at 1-46, and Patrick Clarke, who finished 152nd at four minutes after being delayed in a crash.
Monday’s second stage, 164 kilometres from Portumna to Kilrush was a much tougher, with strong headwinds, and the first major climb of the race, The Corkscrew in Co Clare, with 60km to go. The conditions blew the field apart, with stage victory going to Gediminas Bagdonas, a Lithuanian riding for the An Post-Sean Kelly pro team, who sprinted home at the head of a four-man breakaway.
David Brennan and Patrick Clarke arrived at the Kilrush finish line with the second group on the road, over two minutes behind the leaders. Some time later, third team counter Chris Coyle sprinted ahead of the main peloton, to maintain Mayo’s hopes of a top placing in the county team contest. The eight-day race finishes in Skerries, Co Dublin, on Sunday.
O’Loughlin back in the saddle
MEANWHILE, David O’Loughlin, who had resigned himself to missing this year’s Rás, squeezed in as a late entry, riding for the Waterford Comeragh team.
Racing for the first time this year, O’Loughlin hit trouble when his chain snapped towards the end of stage one. After a tough chase he finally regained the main field and finished just 17 seconds behind the winner. O’Loughlin, a stage winner in the 2010 Rás, is planning to ride himself in, and possibly try something more ambitious in the closing stages.
Tough times in Connemara
STRONG winds and squalling rain made for tough going in the Bog Week two-day, promoted by Western Lakes at Tully Cross. Raiders from Wexford took most of the honours, with David Walsh (Slaney CC) winning two stages and claiming overall victory. The promoting club’s Padraig Marrey finished a close second to Walsh on stage one and went on to finish second overall at 17 seconds, while another Slaney man, Frank Dunne, was, third at 45 seconds. Louisburgh’s Charles Prendergast (Cunga CC) finished a strong third on the 73-kilometre final stage to end the race in fifth spot overall at 1-43.
Westport Covey Wheelers
THE latest round of the Covey/Western Lakes League takes place tonight (Tuesday) sign on at Westport Leisure Park from 6.30pm. Club leisure spins on Wednesday, meet Horkans, West Road, 6.30pm, and Sunday, meet at the clock, Westport, 9am.
