Shay Elliot Memorial - NE

Ireland, April 24, 2005

2004 Results Results Past winners

Dawson does it!

By Tommy Campbell, The Independent

It was tactics of Team Planet X that enabled Kevin Dawson to land one of the top prizes in Irish cycling, the Shay Elliott Memorial Trophy, yesterday afternoon. Originally from the Lake District in England, Dawson was right up with the action all day in an event which had all the hallmarks of an entertaining encounter in Co. Wicklow. Also it had all the spice intermediate sprints can offer, and two KOM primes before it reached the finishing line after 165 kilometres of tough riding.

Better known for his efforts as a time triallist, Dawson more or less instigated the winning move. It was on the outskirts of Ashford when the defining moment came for 12 of the original line up of 136 competitors, as the break edged ahead. They were all eager to set the pace and steadily drew clear of the big bunch that continued to roll at an average 50 km/h. On the approach to Rathdrum they lost the momentum temporarily before an injection of pace, particularly from John Tanner - a former winner of the event - livened up the proceedings.

At the summit of the climb at Glenmalure where there is a monument to the late Shay Elliott, a group of four, including Dawson, Tanner, David McCann and Andy Roche were now the ones in contention. Before the sharp descent into Laragh they regrouped, after McCann had gone over the top of the climb first to claim the KOM title.

At the finish on the outskirts of Bray, Dawson led Planet X teammate Tanner home, with former FBD Milk Ras winners David McCann and Andy Roche filling third and fourth spots.

An ecstatic Dawson commented post-race: "I am delighted to have won this trophy, as it is special in Irish cycling. As I approached the finish I was hoping and praying that I would not be the runner up. I made a big contribution to the race as I similarly made two weeks ago in the Metaltek Grand Prix in the UK, only to be foiled in the end, but happily there was a better outcome today."

Results, 160 km

1 Kevin Dawson (Planet X)                          3.52.10
2 John Tanner (Planet X)
3 David McCann (Phoenix CC/Giant Asia)
4 Andy Roche (Isle of Man)
5 Evan Oliphant (Recycling.co.uk)                     1.36
6 Ciaran Power (Navigators Insurance)
7 Malcolm Elliott (Murphy and Gunn)                   1.38
8 Eugene Moriarty (Cycleways.com)
9 Leigh Cowell (Recycling.co. uk)                     1.39
10 John Dempsey (Dan Morrissey Carrick Wheelers)
11 Mark Lovatt (Planet X)                             2.50
12 Greg Roche (Fuji Bikes)
13 Anthony Malarczyk (Fuji Bikes)
14 Garret Jones (Fuji Bikes)
15 Greg Swinand (Usher IRC)                           5.13

Past winners

2004 David O'Loughlin (Ire) Totalcycling.com
2003 Alessandro Guerra (Ita) Endura Sport.com-Principia
2002 Mark Lovatt (GBr)