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Dublin Skip Gorey 3 Day - NE
Ireland, April 19-21, 2003
McQuaid wins stage one of Gorey
By Shane Stokes, Irishcycling.com
Emerald rider Andrew McQuaid is the first overall leader of the Dublin Skip Gorey Three Day, after a strong finishing sprint saw him win a three-man tussle this afternoon. McQuaid, Killorglin duo Theo Hardwick and Barry Woods, plus the Cycleways-Lee Strand rider Eddie McMahon had surged clear of a 31-strong breakaway with eleven miles remaining on the stage, and while McMahon succumbed to cramp, the other riders had established enough of an advantage to hold off the fast-finishing chasing group.
Although bright and mild, today's 65 mile opening stage was marked by gusting winds which made things all the more difficult for the 166 riders who turned out and, with the ten female entrants getting a slender five minute head start, the speed was on from the drop of the flag in Brittas. Twenty-seven miles were covered in the first hour of racing, prompted in part by the successful chase of the women but mainly due to the efforts of aggressors such as Aidan Hammond (Orwell Wheelers), John Mason and Mark Cassidy (both Cycleways Lee Strand), who broke clear before Baltinglass and opened up a lead of twenty seconds. Sparking off a chase behind, the trio were recaptured but shortly afterwards Hardwick and Kanturk Credit Union rider Denis Lynch - who had highlighted his good form when he won the Stamullen GP senior 2 race last week - threw down the gauntlet. Remaining at the head of affairs over the long drag up through Hackettstown, they were eventually joined by a dozen riders while behind, the main bunch splintered into four separate groups under the pressure of the chase.
The first of these groups eventually succeeded in closing the gap and creating a 31-rider group up front, but the remainder of the field began what was a steady slide backwards. One minute ten seconds, two minutes, two minutes thirty seconds; the main field eventually finished over three minutes back, ending the aspirations of many riders who privately dreamed of winning the prestigious early-season race beforehand.
Meanwhile, those up front were fighting it out for the stage win and the chance to become the first overall leader. Just as the front runners and the chasing group were merging, four riders kicked clear on a short, steep climb eleven miles from the line, and opened up a substantial lead. McQuaid, Woods, Hardwick and McMahon dug deep to carve out what was a forty second advantage, with four miles remaining, but a strong headwind and some cat-and-mouse tactics hampered further consolidation of the gap. Jumping around, then stalling, the four became three when McMahon slipped back, while behind a small counter-attack comprising Dylan Rafter (St. Tiernan's), Sean Bracken (Usher IRC) and Colm Crawley (Stamullen M. Donnelly) made inroads into their deficit and closed right up before the finish. Inside the final 500 metres it was McQuaid who showed his strength, galloping to what appeared to be an easy sprint victory over Hardwick and Woods, while behind Crawley led Rafter and Bracken home.
In all, thirty riders finished within half a minute of McQuaid and Hardwick, leaving the race right open going into tomorrow morning's four mile time trial. And once the ownership of the yellow jersey is decided, he must then cross swords with his rivals in the afternoon's sixty-mile road race. At this stage, seconds and fractions of seconds will count; it all bides well for a fascinating day's racing on Easter Sunday.
Stage 1 - April 19: Dublin - Gorey, 105.01km
Results
1 Andrew McQuaid (Emerald) 2.38.06 2 Theo Hardwick (Killorglin Credit Union) 3 Barry Woods (Killorglin Credit Union) 0.04 4 Colm Crawley (Stamullen M.Donnelly RC) 0.09 5 Dylan Rafter (St Tiernan's) 6 Seán Bracken (Usher IRC) 7 Eddie McMahon (Cycleways) 8 Wayne Maguire (North Bucks R.C.) 0.14 9 Brett Nelson (St Tiernan's) 9 Mark Nestor (Shannonside) 9 Seán Lally (McNally Swords) 9 Philip Sinnet (North Bucks R.C.) 9 Daniel Martin (CC Giro) 9 Neil Martin (CC Giro) 9 Mark Colbert (Tile Choice/Murphy Gunn) 9 Gerard Madden (IMBRC) 9 Scot Willingham (CRCA Sanchez Metro) 9 Noel McGlynn (Ravens CRT) 9 John Dillon (Ravens CRT) 9 Paul Reid (Ravens CRT) 9 Jay Daly (Realt Tuam) 9 Brian Behan (Cycleways) 9 John Mason (Cycleways) 9 Danny Lynch (Kanturk) 9 Mark McLeavey (Leinster Team) 9 Joe McGill (Leinster Team) 9 Emmet Hogan (Galway Bay Cycles) 9 Bill Miller (Carlow RC) 9 Declan Kinch (BWCC) 9 Denis McCarthy (DPC Legal) 9 Karl Gallagher (DPC Legal) 32 Kieran Keane (Ravens CRT) 3.05 33 Mark Keegan (St Tiernan's) 3.19 33 Aidan Hammond (Orwell Wheelers) 33 Martin Fitzgerald (Orwell Wheelers) 33 Keith Daly (McNally Swords) 33 Ian Loughman (Autoview) 33 John Wall (North Kildare) 33 John Heraty (Stagg Lucan) 33 Fergus Whelan (Stagg Lucan) 33 Shay Murphy (Stagg Lucan) 33 Seán Tierney (McNally Swords) 33 Jason Ludgate (McNally Swords) 33 Gary Elliott (North Bucks R.C.) 33 David Duke (Usher IRC) 33 Aidan O'Shea (Killorglin Credit Union) 33 Jonathan Gormley (McQuaid Tyres Emyvale) 33 Brendan Lacey (Fermoy) 33 Conor Bartley (Fermoy) 33 Fergal O'Connor (Fermoy) 33 Kieran Smith (Autoview) 33 Daniel Byrne (CRCA Sanchez Metro) 33 Norbert O'Reilly (CRCA Sanchez Metro) 33 James Walsh (Ravens CRT) 33 Nick Keegan (Ravens CRT) 33 Geoff Liffey (Ravens CRT) 33 Noel Maloney (Ravens CRT) 33 Derek Finnegan (Navan RC) 33 Declan Carty (Éire Óg) 33 Freeman Basil (Éire Óg) 33 Michael Somers (Éire Óg) 33 Dara O'Neill (Realt Tuam) 33 Angelo O'Connor (Realt Tuam) 33 Jonathan Cruise (BWCC) 33 Brian Harris (BWCC) 33 Anthony Crean (BWCC) 33 Seán Farrell (Hillcrest Hire Kilcullen) 33 Mick Nulty (Stamullen M.Donnelly RC) 33 Mark Nulty (Stamullen M.Donnelly RC) 33 Donal Clancy (Four Masters) 33 Liam Gallagher (Four Masters) 33 Shane Connaughton (Cycleways) 33 Mark Cassidy (Cycleways) 33 Laurent Dumoulin (Kanturk) 33 Barry Flanagan (Kanturk) 33 Willie Curtin (Kanturk) 33 Paul Rowland (Kanturk) 33 Derek Irwin (Leinster Team) 33 Andrew Meehan (Leinster Team) 33 Jason Kelly (McNally Swords) 33 Ray Cullen (Autoview) 33 Jamie Barlow (Autoview) 33 Hughie Davis (Usher IRC) 33 Drew McKinley (Newry Wheelers) 85 Tony O'Malley (North Kildare) 8.10 85 Noel McCarthy (Fermoy) 85 Patrick Dobbs (Wexford Wheelers) 88 Ian Ormond (Autoview) 8.55 89 John O'Mahony (McQuaid Tyres Emyvale) 10.25 89 Alan Lane (Orwell Wheelers) 89 Paul Brady (McQuaid Tyres Emyvale) 89 Séamus Haughney (Carlow RC) 89 Henry Crowley (McNally Swords) 94 Bryan Keane (Dublin Wheelers) 11.20 95 Ben Delaney (BWCC) 12.13 96 Padraig Mac Carthaigh (BWCC) 12.17 97 James Lawless (Usher IRC) 13.17 97 Noel Horan (St Tiernan's) 97 Andrew Lakes (St Tiernan's) 97 John Carroll (Naas) 97 Declan Crean (BWCC) 97 Keith O'Sullivan (Les Jeunes CC) 97 Kevin Whelan (Stagg Lucan) 97 Neil O'Connor (Stagg Lucan) 97 Noel Beggs (Stagg Lucan) 97 Alan Dunne (Stagg Lucan) 97 Matthew Swift (Fermoy) 97 John Rooney (Phoenix) 97 Keith Bannow (Tile Choice/Murphy Gunn) 97 Debbie Booth (Cycling Ireland) 97 Marie Reilly (Cycling Ireland) 97 Karen Bothwell (Leinster Ladies Team) 97 Louise Moriarty (Leinster Ladies Team) 97 David Rawlins (Usher IRC) 97 Ronnie Brannigan (Orwell Wheelers) 97 Tony Devane (Killorglin Credit Union) 97 Eoin Concannon (Killorglin Credit Union) 97 David Lane (UCD) 97 Justin McGee (Wall Cycles) 97 Dave Walsh (Ravens CRT) 97 David Farrell (Hillcrest Hire Kilcullen) 97 Micheal Lucey (Killarney) 97 Colin Leahy (Killarney) 97 Stephen McKenna (Stamullen M.Donnelly RC) 97 Danny O'Connor (Kanturk) 97 John O'Brian (Hillcrest Hire Kilcullen) 97 John Gough (Triton Ventilux Cork) 97 Brendan Mulhare (Carlow RC) 97 Andrew McAllister (IMBRC) 97 Tosh Lavery (DPC Legal) 97 Alan Burke (Naas) 97 Patrick Kelly (BWCC) 133 Collette Swift (Cycling Ireland) 20.07 134 Ross McClure (BWCC) 21.00 135 Dave McLoughlin (Orwell Wheelers) 24.18 135 Eddie Lynch (Orwell Wheelers) 135 Scott Kinsella (Les Jeunes CC) 135 Gillian McDarby (Leinster Ladies Team) 135 Beth McCluskey (Leinster Ladies Team) 135 Mark McCabe (IMBRC) 135 Gerard Ivory (BWCC) 135 Keith Slowey (BWCC) 143 Thomas Duggan (Leinster Team) 29.26 144 Kate Rudd (Cycling Ireland) 30.06 145 Damien Donoghue (Realt Tuam) 30.59 145 Danny Leahy (Killarney) 145 Denis O'Shea (Killarney) 145 Brian Murphy (Kanturk) 145 Jim Fanning (Navan RC) 150 James Hughes (Stagg Lucan) 34.21 150 Malcolm Goggin (Tile Choice/Murphy Gunn) 150 Roisín Kennedy (Cycling Ireland) 150 James Lattimore (Usher IRC) 150 Brian Hammond (Usher IRC) 155 Seamus Fitzgerald (Orwell Wheelers) 38.16 156 Martin Kennedy (Orwell Wheelers) 39.32 156 Rebecca O'Connell (Leinster Ladies Team) 156 Andrew Duffin (Ravens CRT) 156 John Paul Queally (Dublin Wheelers) 160 James Keegan (St Tiernan's) 40.32 160 David Ward (Usher IRC) 160 Brendan Whelan (Stagg Lucan) 160 Brendan O'Sullivan (Killorglin Credit Union) 160 Eoghan Breslin (Unattached) General Classification after stage 1 1 Andrew McQuaid (Emerald) 2.38.06 2 Theo Hardwick (Killorglin Credit Union) 3 Barry Woods (Killorglin Credit Union) 0.04 4 Colm Crawley (Stamullen M.Donnelly RC) 0.09 5 Dylan Rafter (St Tiernan's) 6 Seán Bracken (Usher IRC) 7 Eddie McMahon (Cycleways) 8 Wayne Maguire (North Bucks R.C.) 0.14 9 Brett Nelson (St Tiernan's) 9 Mark Nestor (Shannonside) 9 Seán Lally (McNally Swords) 9 Philip Sinnet (North Bucks R.C.) 9 Daniel Martin (CC Giro) 9 Neil Martin (CC Giro) 9 Mark Colbert (Tile Choice/Murphy Gunn) 9 Gerard Madden (IMBRC) 9 Scot Willingham (CRCA Sanchez Metro) 9 Noel McGlynn (Ravens CRT) 9 John Dillon (Ravens CRT) 9 Paul Reid (Ravens CRT) 9 Jay Daly (Realt Tuam) 9 Brian Behan (Cycleways) 9 John Mason (Cycleways) 9 Danny Lynch (Kanturk) 9 Mark McLeavey (Leinster Team) 9 Joe McGill (Leinster Team) 9 Emmet Hogan (Galway Bay Cycles) 9 Bill Miller (Carlow RC) 9 Declan Kinch (BWCC) 9 Denis McCarthy (DPC Legal) 9 Karl Gallagher (DPC Legal) 32 Kieran Keane (Ravens CRT) 3.05 33 Mark Keegan (St Tiernan's) 3.19 33 Aidan Hammond (Orwell Wheelers) 33 Martin Fitzgerald (Orwell Wheelers) 33 Keith Daly (McNally Swords) 33 Ian Loughman (Autoview) 33 John Wall (North Kildare) 33 John Heraty (Stagg Lucan) 33 Fergus Whelan (Stagg Lucan) 33 Shay Murphy (Stagg Lucan) 33 Seán Tierney (McNally Swords) 33 Jason Ludgate (McNally Swords) 33 Gary Elliott (North Bucks R.C.) 33 David Duke (Usher IRC) 33 Aidan O'Shea (Killorglin Credit Union) 33 Jonathan Gormley (McQuaid Tyres Emyvale) 33 Brendan Lacey (Fermoy) 33 Conor Bartley (Fermoy) 33 Fergal O'Connor (Fermoy) 33 Kieran Smith (Autoview) 33 Daniel Byrne (CRCA Sanchez Metro) 33 Norbert O'Reilly (CRCA Sanchez Metro) 33 James Walsh (Ravens CRT) 33 Nick Keegan (Ravens CRT) 33 Geoff Liffey (Ravens CRT) 33 Noel Maloney (Ravens CRT) 33 Derek Finnegan (Navan RC) 33 Declan Carty (Éire Óg) 33 Freeman Basil (Éire Óg) 33 Michael Somers (Éire Óg) 33 Dara O'Neill (Realt Tuam) 33 Angelo O'Connor (Realt Tuam) 33 Jonathan Cruise (BWCC) 33 Brian Harris (BWCC) 33 Anthony Crean (BWCC) 33 Seán Farrell (Hillcrest Hire Kilcullen) 33 Mick Nulty (Stamullen M.Donnelly RC) 33 Mark Nulty (Stamullen M.Donnelly RC) 33 Donal Clancy (Four Masters) 33 Liam Gallagher (Four Masters) 33 Shane Connaughton (Cycleways) 33 Mark Cassidy (Cycleways) 33 Laurent Dumoulin (Kanturk) 33 Barry Flanagan (Kanturk) 33 Willie Curtin (Kanturk) 33 Paul Rowland (Kanturk) 33 Derek Irwin (Leinster Team) 33 Andrew Meehan (Leinster Team) 33 Jason Kelly (McNally Swords) 33 Ray Cullen (Autoview) 33 Jamie Barlow (Autoview) 33 Hughie Davis (Usher IRC) 33 Drew McKinley (Newry Wheelers) 85 Tony O'Malley (North Kildare) 8.10 85 Noel McCarthy (Fermoy) 85 Patrick Dobbs (Wexford Wheelers) 88 Ian Ormond (Autoview) 8.55 89 John O'Mahony (McQuaid Tyres Emyvale) 10.25 89 Alan Lane (Orwell Wheelers) 89 Paul Brady (McQuaid Tyres Emyvale) 89 Séamus Haughney (Carlow RC) 89 Henry Crowley (McNally Swords) 94 Bryan Keane (Dublin Wheelers) 11.20 95 Ben Delaney (BWCC) 12.13 96 Padraig Mac Carthaigh (BWCC) 12.17 97 James Lawless (Usher IRC) 13.17 97 Noel Horan (St Tiernan's) 97 Andrew Lakes (St Tiernan's) 97 John Carroll (Naas) 97 Declan Crean (BWCC) 97 Keith O'Sullivan (Les Jeunes CC) 97 Kevin Whelan (Stagg Lucan) 97 Neil O'Connor (Stagg Lucan) 97 Noel Beggs (Stagg Lucan) 97 Alan Dunne (Stagg Lucan) 97 Matthew Swift (Fermoy) 97 John Rooney (Phoenix) 97 Keith Bannow (Tile Choice/Murphy Gunn) 97 Debbie Booth (Cycling Ireland) 97 Marie Reilly (Cycling Ireland) 97 Karen Bothwell (Leinster Ladies Team) 97 Louise Moriarty (Leinster Ladies Team) 97 David Rawlins (Usher IRC) 97 Ronnie Brannigan (Orwell Wheelers) 97 Tony Devane (Killorglin Credit Union) 97 Eoin Concannon (Killorglin Credit Union) 97 David Lane (UCD) 97 Justin McGee (Wall Cycles) 97 Dave Walsh (Ravens CRT) 97 David Farrell (Hillcrest Hire Kilcullen) 97 Micheal Lucey (Killarney) 97 Colin Leahy (Killarney) 97 Stephen McKenna (Stamullen M.Donnelly RC) 97 Danny O'Connor (Kanturk) 97 John O'Brian (Hillcrest Hire Kilcullen) 97 John Gough (Triton Ventilux Cork) 97 Brendan Mulhare (Carlow RC) 97 Andrew McAllister (IMBRC) 97 Tosh Lavery (DPC Legal) 97 Alan Burke (Naas) 97 Patrick Kelly (BWCC) 133 Collette Swift (Cycling Ireland) 20.07 134 Ross McClure (BWCC) 21.00 135 Dave McLoughlin (Orwell Wheelers) 24.18 135 Eddie Lynch (Orwell Wheelers) 135 Scott Kinsella (Les Jeunes CC) 135 Gillian McDarby (Leinster Ladies Team) 135 Beth McCluskey (Leinster Ladies Team) 135 Mark McCabe (IMBRC) 135 Gerard Ivory (BWCC) 135 Keith Slowey (BWCC) 143 Thomas Duggan (Leinster Team) 29.26 144 Kate Rudd (Cycling Ireland) 30.06 145 Damien Donoghue (Realt Tuam) 30.59 145 Danny Leahy (Killarney) 145 Denis O'Shea (Killarney) 145 Brian Murphy (Kanturk) 145 Jim Fanning (Navan RC) 150 James Hughes (Stagg Lucan) 34.21 150 Malcolm Goggin (Tile Choice/Murphy Gunn) 150 Roisín Kennedy (Cycling Ireland) 150 James Lattimore (Usher IRC) 150 Brian Hammond (Usher IRC) 155 Seamus Fitzgerald (Orwell Wheelers) 38.16 156 Martin Kennedy (Orwell Wheelers) 39.32 156 Rebecca O'Connell (Leinster Ladies Team) 156 Andrew Duffin (Ravens CRT) 156 John Paul Queally (Dublin Wheelers) 160 James Keegan (St Tiernan's) 40.32 160 David Ward (Usher IRC) 160 Brendan Whelan (Stagg Lucan) 160 Brendan O'Sullivan (Killorglin Credit Union) 160 Eoghan Breslin (Unattached)
