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Credit Union Ras Mumhan - NE
Ireland, April 18-21, 2003
Main Page Results Previous Stage
Stage 3 - April 21: Western Union-Beaufort, 58 miles
By Tommy Campbell, Irish Independent, Evening Herald, Sunday Independent
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Kevin Dawson, the 33-year-old laboratory technician from Doncaster and representing the Life Repair CRT, triumphed overall for the second year in succession yesterday afternoon when the fourth and final stage of the Credit Union Ras Mumhan concluded in Killorglin, Co. Kerry.
The opening stage on Friday, a test against the clock over 2.6 miles, was ultimately the launch pad for his success. He may have had only a handful of seconds over his chief rivals, but the fact that Dawson had prior to the event been installed as the race favourite sent a clear message that irrespective of a new composition of his team, which did not include Mark Lovatt or John Tanner, that he could soldier in their absence.
By a strange set of circumstances on stage two, which included many of the toughest climbs in the country, Paul Doyle of Tilechoice caused a hiccup by outsmarting some of the fancied candidates to land the stage to propel himself into the race leader's jersey. Dawson could do no better than finish in 16th place and suddenly there was a ray of hope for the pretenders.
Come Sunday, it was Dawson who bounced back into the lead. There was a time in the closing miles that his hopes of a repeat were in the balance. After a true test of climbing up the Conor Pass, which shelled out the majority of the hopefuls, it was twelve cyclists including Dawson that set the stage alight. Still there was one move left which could have wreaked havoc on Dawson's aspirations. Twelve miles from the finish in Killorglin, which was start and finish for all the four stages, Eugene Moriarty slipped the field and raced into a position of leadership on the road, but his pursuers worked with the Englishman to scupper Eugene's hopes. By finishing second, Dawson was back in pole position.
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Yesterday's stage over 58 miles was divided into three laps of a Beaufort course and four laps which skirted Killorglin. Yet again Dawson had to rally his team as Gary Dodd from the Surrey Racing team stole a march on the jersey, which catapulted him into the race lead. Unfortunately it was short lived, as Dawson applied the pressure that ultimately guaranteed him the final acclimation as the overall winner.
Anthony Malarczyk of Wales won the stage, but Paddy Moriarty of the Hibernian Irish Team made one final assault in the final miles to deprive back-to-back wins.
"Initially I thought I had a good chance of overall victory when I won on Friday. Then the tide turned on Saturday and I found myself on the back burner when Paul Doyle won. I was back in business on Sunday and yesterday it was a team effort. They were comparatively young, but when the chips were down on the final stage it all worked out. I'll be back for the FBD Milk Ras next month with the heavyweights, (Tanner and Lovatt), so maybe more success is on the cards. The competition here over the Easter weekend was superb along with the organisation and already I'm looking forward to three on the trot," said Kevin.
Results
1 Anthony Malararczyk (4bikesonline.com, Wales) 2.05.09 2 A. Crowley (Cycleways/Lee Strand CC) 9 3 G. Dodd (Surrey League) 11 4 C.Varley (Isle of Man) 12 5 V. Gleeson (Hibernian Team Ireland) 6 A. Bird (Artic-Shorter Rochford RT) Overall 1 Kevin Dawson (Life Repair RT) 10.01.14 2 P. Moriarty (Hibernian Team Ireland) 6 3 T. Barry (Hibernian Team Ireland) 17 4 R. Wyley (London Irish) 22 5 E. Moriarty (Cycleways/Lee Strand) 26 6 A. Donnellan (Leinster Cycling Federation) 28 7 G. Dodd (Surrey League) 1.22 8 J. Veness (Surrey League) 1.38 9 R. Cahill (Team Killorglin Credit Union) 1.42 10 A. Roche (Isle of Man) 2.38 Points V. Gleeson (Hibernan Team Ireland) King of Hills B. Kenneally (Carrick Cidona) Under-23 C. Mass (B.R.C. Kennemerland) Team Ireland Club Team Killorglin Credit Union CC First B D. Tansey (Orwell Whls)
