Tour of Ulster - NE

Ireland, May 1-3, 2004

Main Page Results Previous Stage

Stage 4 - May 3: Emyvale, 77 miles

Evans holds on for the win

By Shane Stokes, irishcycling.com

Tommy Evans (Totalcycling.com) retained his three second advantage over Rory Wyley (Cidona Carrick Wheelers) to take the Tour of Ulster today. Adrian Hedderman (Team Murphy and Gunn) won the 72 mile final stage from a five-man breakaway group, while Evans and Wyley finished as part of the main bunch some seventeen seconds later.

David O'Loughlin (Cidona Carrick Wheelers) won two out of three KOM primes today to make sure of the mountains classification while first year senior Mark Cassidy (Leinster Development Squad) finished an excellent ninth overall and best of the Under 23 riders.

His team-mate Brian Keane took the award for best second and third category rider. Cidona Carrick Wheelers were best team.

Today's 72 mile stage from Omagh to Emyvale saw a constant stream of attacks, which began with the drop of the flag. Totalcycling.com's David O'Loughlin sealed his victory in the mountains competition when he was first to the prime at Gortin Glen, ahead of Denis Lynch (Cork Select) and Ben Morrow (East Antrim Audi). The Mayo rider took another three points when he crossed the top of the first category climb at the District of Magherafelt behind John Dempsey (Cidona Carrick Wheelers) and Stephen O'Sullivan (Cycleways Lee Strand), and was then first to the top of the final climb of the race, Lough Fea in the Sperrins. Lynch and Cycleways Lee Strand's Aidan Crowley were second and third.

Crowley's team-mate John Peppard took the sprint prime in Cookstown, moments before another Cycleways rider Philip Cassidy clipped away. Cassidy had shown his good form by winning stage two and so was soon joined by Timmy Barry (Carrick-Cidona), Simon Kelly (Western Composite), Craig Sweetman (Stamullen M. Donnelly), Richie Cahill (Cork Select) and Adrian Hederman (Murphy and Gunn).

The sextet only opened a lead of thirty seconds but good collaboration saw them stay clear for the next 30 lines, settling the stage honours between them on the streets of Emyvale. Hedderman proved quickest in the final gallop, with Kelly, Barry, Sweetman, Cassidy and Cahill finishing in that order behind him. Seventh place went to the impressive first year senior Mark Cassidy, who jumped clear of the main bunch and finished seven seconds clear. He thus moved up to eighth overall and ahead of Sean Lacey (Earl of Desmond) in the Under 23 classification, taking the Jim Traynor Memorial trophy.

Evans finished in the main bunch some seventeen seconds after Hedderman took the win, crossing the line in the same time as closest rival Rory Wyley and so taking his second Tour of Ulster victory. Third place overall went to Ben Morrow (East Antrim - Audi), who took what was probably the best result of his career thus far.

Stage 3 time trial winner David O'Loughlin took the award for best climber ahead of Denis Lynch and Sean Lacey. He finished 2 minutes and 6 seconds down in Emyvale after driving the main bunch for over twenty miles, and so helping his team-mate Evans.

The overall team prize went to Carrick-Cidona while Brian Keane (Leinster Development Squad) was best non-first cat rider.

Results

1 Adrian Hedderman (Murphy and Gunn)                2.47.17
2 Simon Kelly (Western Composite)
3 Timmy Barry (Cidona Carrick Wheelers)
4 Craig Sweetman (Stamullen M. Donnelly)
5 Philip Cassidy (Cycleways Lee Strand)
6 Richie Cahill (Cork Select)                          0.03
7 Mark Cassidy (Leinster Development Squad)            0.10
8 Eugene Moriarty (Cycleways Lee Strand)               0.13
9 Conor Murphy (North Monaghan/Crannog Ireland)        0.17
10 Philip Finegan (Cycleways Lee Strand) 
11 Rory Wyley (Cidona Carrick Wheelers)
 
Sprints
 
Cookstown
 
1 John Peppard (Cycleways Lee Strand)
 
Mountains
 
KOM Cat 3 at Gortin Glen
 
1 David O'Loughlin (Totalcycling.com)                     3 pts
2 Denis Lynch (Cork Select)                               2
3 Ben Morrow (East Antrim Audi)                           1 
 
KOM Category 1 at District of Magherafelt
 
1 John Dempsey (Cidona Carrick Wheelers)                  7 pts
2 Stephen O'Sullivan (Cycleways Lee Strand)               5
3 O'Loughlin                                              3
4 Tommy Evans (Totalcycling.com)                          2
5 Sean Lacey (Earl of Desmond)                            1
 
KOM Cat 3 at Lough Fea
 
1 O'Loughlin                                              3 pts
2 Lynch                                                   2
3 A. Crowley (Cycleways Lee Strand)                       1
 
Final general classification
 
1 Tommy Evans (Totalcycling.com/Litespeed)          8.11.25
2 Rory Wyley (Cidona Carrick Wheelers)                 0.03
3 Ben Morrow (East Antrim/Audi)                        0.39
4 Bill Moore (Stamullen M. Donnelly)                   1.00
5 Denis Lynch (Cork Select)                            1.06
6 Brian Ahern (Leinster Development Squad)             1.19
7 Richie Cahill (Cork Select)                          1.21
8 Mark Cassidy (Leinster Development Squad)
9 Sean Lacey (Earl of Desmond)                         1.24
10 Philip Finegan (Cycleways Lee Strand)               1.27
11 Timmy Barry (Cidona Carrick Wheelers)               1.33
12 Craig Sweetman (Stamullen M. Donnelly)              1.34
13 Conor Murphy (North Monaghan/Crannog Ireland)       1.39
14 Brian Stewart (Usher IRC)                           1.47
15 Greg Swinand (Usher IRC)                            1.48
16 Vincent Gleeson (Earl of Desmond)                   2.04
17 Eugene Moriarty (Cycleways Lee Strand)              2.04
18 David O'Loughlin (Totalcycling.com/Litespeed)       3.26
19 Brian Keane (Leinster Development)                  7.27
20 Daire McCaughley (Dublin Wheelers)                  7.28
 
Mountains classification
 
1 David O'Loughlin (Totalcycling.com)                    22 pts
2 Denis Lynch (Cork Select)                              14 
3 Sean Lacey (Earl of Desmond)                           13
4 Ben Morrow (East Antrim Audi)                           9
5 Richie Cahill (Cork Select)                             8
6 John Dempsey (Earl of Desmond)                          7
 
Teams classification
 
1 Cidona Carrick Wheelers                          24.43.55
2 Cork Select                                          0.11
3 Leinster Development                                 0.27
4 Stamullen M. Donnelly
5 Cycleways Lee Strand                                 1.19
6 Totalcycling.com                                     5.01
 
Under 23 classification
 
1 Mark Cassidy (Cycleways Lee Strand)               8.12.46
2 Sean Lacey (Earl of Desmond)                         0.03
3 Conor Murphy (North Monaghan/Crannog Ireland)        0.18
4 Paul Brady (McQuaid Tyres Emyvale)                   6.54
5 Brendan Lacey (Earl of Desmond)                     17.45
6 Eoin Concannon (Killorglin CU)                      17.52
 
Non-1st Cat classification
 
1 Brian Keane (Leinster Development)                8.18.52
2 Daire McCaughley (Dublin Wheelers)                   0.01
3 Paul Brady (McQuaid Tyres Emyvale)                   0.48
4 Seamus Kelly (Newbridge CC)                         11.26
5 Rob Wyse (Bray Wheelers)                            11.29
6 Brendan Lacey (Earl of Desmond)                     11.39