Results and Reports for July 14 - 15, 2001

Ireland

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Matt Corcoran Memorial

Every cyclist wants to win an open race, but to win your own club's promotion, must be like winning the lottery. Sunday 15 July, in Naas, Co. Kildare, Shane Prendergast made quite a number of people very happy. He had just delivered a win in the Matt Corcoran Memorial promoted by the Cahills/Naas CC of which he is a member.

There was nothing sloppy about this win carved out of sheer effort and hard work. From the outset of the 120kms of racing over five laps of an undulating circuit the 20 year old was in the thick of the action.

For the first lap matters were quite pedestrian as the competitors looked for tweaks in the armoury. On the surface it looked as though the peloton was finely balanced with little or no urgency to get things moving. It was at the start of lap three that the event suddenly swung into action. A group of 12 went ahead and they quickly built up an advantage of 30 seconds with Shane very much in evidence as one of the driving forces. Lack of pressure by the remainder inevitably saw the group back in the main pack. On the penultimate lap yet again, Shane got clear in a similar sized group who seemed more intent on staying clear. There lead went up to over a minute going out on the final circuit it looked as though this would be the move.

As in many instances, the best-laid plans can inevitably come unstuck because of the failure to capitalise on their fortune. The same applied in this scenario when a number of the break started to fall off the pace.

This led to resurgence by Mark Kiernan of ProVision, Ritchie Cahill of Banteer CC Denis Easton of Maryland and Shane to go it alone. For the next number of kilometres it was the quartet who went in search of victory. Not one of them showed any exterior signs of slackening off the pace, but when they hit the final bend before the ascent to the finish, they started to jockey for position. Fist it was Cahill who went for broke with Easton and Prendergast in his slipstream. Midway up the drag Prendergast moved out and from then on it was a formality with the minor placing still in doubt.

Not that the cyclists were interested, but the race passed by the famous Punchestown race course where Istabraq won many a race which has cast him alongside many of the famous race horses of our time.

Results

Men - 120km road race
 
1 Shane Prendergast (Cahills/ Naas)                  3.30.80
2 Dennis Easton (Maryland)
3 Ritchie Cahill (Banteer CC)
4 Mark Kiernan (Provision)
5 Martin O'Loughlin (Carrick Cidona)                    0.23
6 Timmy Barry (Leedside)
7 David Peelo (Usher Irish Road Club)
8 Ray Clarke (Classic Walls)

Cahills Grand Prix

Results

Men - 96km road race
 
1 S. Bracken (Usher IRC)
2 M. Storan (Limerick CC)
3 P. Christopher (Banteer CC)
4 P. Ennis (Orwell)
5 P. Sweeney (Navan/Avonmore)
6 J. Magill (Finglas Ravens)
 
Junior
 
1 P. O'Brien (Kanturk Credit Union)
2 J. O'Shea (Carrick Cidona)
3 S. Enright (Usher IRC)
4 M. Conncannon (Killorglin CU)
5 A. McQuaid (Emerald CC)
6 B. Meade (Kanturk Credit Union)
 
1st Woman: L. Moriarty (Les Jeunes, Dublin Skip)

Thermo King Classic Time Trial

Mark Scanlon yet again showed his superiority against the clock. He recently scored a double when he won a criterium in Galway, and this time has proven beyond doubt that when he is on, he's simply on another planet.

The Thermo King Classic Time Trial held over the roads between Clifden and Galway has in recent years created a great buzz because it is the one test that catches the best out, and of course quite an amount of cyclists bypass it.

This did not deter over 38 from taking up the challenge including the former world champion who has quit his former club and joined VC la Pomme. Interestingly enough according to French rules, this is not permitted.

Yet again Mark came on top when he had over a minute to spare over last years winner, David O'Loughlin who on the other hand had to get a special dispensation to change clubs in France, but is now unattached.

To historic buffs, Clifden in Co. Galway was the place where Alcock and Brown landed after a flight across the Atlantic back in 1919. Today it is a place most frequently visited in particular by American visitors.

Results

Men - 80km time trial
 
1 Mark Scanlon (VC la Pomme)                                      1.34.51
2 David O'Loughlin (unattached)                                      1.14
3 Paul Healion (Usher Irish Road Club)                               1.37
4 Michael McNena (VC la Pomme)                                       7.56
5 David Nugent (Western Lakes)                                      11.19
6 Aidan Hammond (Orwell Wheelers)                                   12.26

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