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Barry Murphy Memorial/Coombes-Connor Memorial
May 15-16, 2004
McCann races to impressive double
By Shane Stokes
With the FBD Milk Rás less than one week away, David McCann underlined his status as one of the main favourites for the race when he took back to back wins over the weekend. McCann dominated both the Barry Murphy Memorial Border Classic on Saturday and yesterday's Coombes/Connor Memorial, showing his form is coming on nicely prior to the Rás start this coming Sunday.
The first half of McCann's double came in the Barry Murphy Memorial event on Saturday, the Phoenix CC rider breaking away with fifteen miles remaining and reaching the line well clear of the impressive first year senior Mark Cassidy (Cycleways Lee Strand) and Tommy Evans (Totalcycling.com - Litespeed) plus the next riders. The dominant ride saw him lift the race's memorial cup plus 500 euro in prize money, making it a very worthwhile day in the saddle.
Promoted by the North Monaghan CC - Crannog Ireland club, the race was billed as Ireland's richest one day contest with a prizefund of 3,500 Euros. A twelve man breakaway group went clear on the opening lap of the 82 mile event, with McCann, Phoenix team-mate Tim Walsh, Mark Cassidy (Cycleways Lee Strand), Gary Crory (Total Cycling-Litespeed), Gerard Heverin (Castlereagh), Brian Stewart (Usher Irish Road Club) and Willie Hamilton (East Antrim) amongst those combining to opening up a two minute lead over the main bunch.
Missing from the move was the local favourite Conor Murphy who, in riding with the promoting club and lining out in the race dedicated to his late Brother, had two very strong motivating factors to do well. However the unlucky Crannog Ireland rider crashed early on and lost his chance.
Two others who missed the break were the Totalcycling.com - Litespeed duo of Tommy Evans and David O'Loughlin, the winner of the recent Lincoln Grand Prix and Shay Elliott Memorial. Evans and Cycleways Lee Strand's Phil Cassidy eventually got across to the front group but, crucially, made the junction after McCann had stomped clear and began his solo charge to a near-two minute victory. Cassidy and Evans were next home, ahead of Kieran McMahon (Earl of Demond), Colm Bracken (DHL Wall Cycles Eurotrek) and Denis Eason (Maryland Wheelers).
The former national champion was in a similarly aggressive frame of mind twenty four-odd hours later when he dominated the Coombes/Connor Memorial in Drogheda. McCann was on the attack from the start of the 77 mile race, going clear in several moves before finding the right combination of riders on the second lap. Together with Evans, Paul Griffin (Earl of Desmond), Brian Ahern (Rubex Naas), David Peelo (Usher IRC) and the Cycleways Lee Strand duo of Philip Cassidy and Stephen O'Sullivan, he opened up what proved to be a crucial lead over the rest of the field.
Climbing strongly after his fine performances in the Tours of Crete and Hellas, Griffin forced the pace on the hill towards the end but was unable to open a significant advantage. Cassidy succeeded in opening a good lead at one stage but was dragged back on the climb. McCann finally made his bid in the closing stages of the race, instantly building up a large lead and extending it all the way to the line. Griffin and Evans took second and third, with Ahern, Peelo, O'Sullivan, Cassidy and Robert Moore (Stamullen M. Donnelly) next home.
"I was very happy to get the two wins but the funny thing is I don't actually feel I am going that well," said McCann, surprisingly, after his victories. "I crashed doing a kermesse in Belgium a couple of weeks ago and the wounds got infected. I've just stopped taking the antibiotics so should start to feel a bit better. I haven't done a whole lot of training lately, just races, but will do a hard day today and another session tomorrow before starting my taper for the Rás. Hopefully it will work out well for me this year and I'll go well during the week."
"I found Saturday's race quite hard but yesterday I felt stronger. I tried a few attacks on the first lap but got caught. At the start of the second lap I went clear in a group and we rode well together. Paul Griffin was going well on the hill and Tommy Evans was also strong during the race. Paul tried to get a gap towards the end but it didn't work out for him. Tommy had lost a bit of ground on the climb but then came back strongly to take third."
Meanwhile Roisin Kennedy showed her increasing strength when she won the women's race, which was the latest round of the ladies Classic League. Her Usher IRC team-mate Siobhan Jacob had gone clear on the final lap but was reeled in by the rest of the field, setting the scene for Kennedy's successful counter attack. Mary Boyd (Roe Valley CC) won the sprint for second ahead of Orla Hendron (Dundrum SC), Gilian McDarby (The Bagel Bar), Ann McFarlane (Omagh Wheelers) and Jacob.
* The Bann Valley Classic road race in Clady went to Classic Walls rider Brendan O'Brien, who showed great strength and determination to bounce back and take the win after an earlier attack failed. He had been away for over 20 miles with 18 year-old Martin Ervine (Ards CC) but was caught on the final lap. However O'Brien went again and reached the line eight seconds clear of the bunch, led home by Colm Watson (Total Cycling), David McCall (Maryland), Sean McGreevy (Phoenix), Colin Lynn (Bann Valley) and Andy Flannery (Phoenix).
Meanwhile Gerard Cromwell (Stamullen M. Donnelly) had an excellent weekend. He proved best in Saturday's McArdle Cup race in Dundalk, then went on to take the senior 2 prize in the Coombes/Conor Memorial yesterday.
Results
Barry Murphy Memorial 1 David McCann (Phoenix CC) 2 Mark Cassidy (Cycleways Lee Strand) 3 Tommy Evans (Totalcycling.com) 4 Kieran McMahon (Earl of Demond) 5 Colm Bracken (DHL Wall Cycles Eurotrek) 6 Denis Eason (Maryland Wheelers) 7 Philip Finegan (Cycleways Lee Strand) 8 Gerard Heverin (Castlereagh CC) 9 Brian Stewart (Usher IRC) 10 Gary Crory (Litespeed) Senior 2 1 Brian Keane (Dublin Wheelers) 2 Paul Brady (McQuaid Tyres Emyvale) 3 Richard Alhadef (Orchard Wheelers) 4 Anthony Hare (Apollo CC) 5 Alan Lane (Orwell Dundrum SC) 6 Len Carrigan (Dublin Wheelers) Senior 3, junior and veterans 1 Dave McCall (Maryland Wheelers) 2 Terry Ferris (Murphy and Gunn) 3 David Watson (Northern CC) 4 Andrew Flannery (Phoenix CC) 5 Maurice Ruddock (Phoenix CC) 6 Drew Corrigan (Maryland Wheelers) Women 1 Roisin Kennedy (Usher IRC) 2 Mary Boyd (Roe Valley CC) 3 Orla Hendron (Orwell Dundrum SC) 4 Gillian McDarby (The Bagel Bar) 5 Ann McFarland (Omagh CC) 6 Siobhan Jacob (Usher IRC) Under 16 1 S. Williams (Orchard Wheelers) Coombes/Connor memorial, Drogheda Senior 1 and 2 race (77 miles) 1 David McCann (Phoenix CC) 2 Paul Griffin (Earl of Desmond CC) 3 Tommy Evans (Totalcycling.com) 4 Brian Ahern (Rubex Naas CC) 5 Dave Peelo (Usher IRC) 6 Stephen O'Sullivan (Cycleways Lee Strand) 7 Philip Cassidy (Cycleways Lee Strand) 8 Robert Moore (Stamullen M. Donnelly) 9 Phil Finegan (Cycleways Lee Strand) 10 Aidan Crowley (Cycleways Lee Strand) Senior 2 1 Kieran Keane (Ravens CRC) 2 Seamus Kelly (Newbridge CC) 3 Daire McCaughley (Dublin Wheelers) 4 Sean Farrell (Hillcrest Hire CC) 5 Brian Taafe (Dublin Wheelers) Senior 2 1 Gerard Cromwell (Stamullen M Donnelly) 2 Enda Connaughton (Galway Bay) 3 Odhran Connors (Orwell Dundrum Shopping Centre) 4 Kevin Lynch (Haldane Fisher Newry) 5 Alister Cole (McNally Swords) 6 Stephen Byrne (Avonmore Navan RC) Juniors 1 Mark Nestor (Shannonside CC) 2 James Whelan (McNally Swords) 3 Stephen McKenna (Stamullen M. Donnelly) 4 Urban Monks (Bray Wheelers CC) 5 Padraig Nolan (Shannonside CC) Veterans 1 John McCulla (Dyanmon Cycles) 2 Terry Ferris (Murphy and Gunn) 3 Mick Nulty (Stamullen M. Donnelly) 4 Knud Jensen (Sorrento CC) 5 Con Short (Newry Haldane Fisher) Women 1 Louise Moriarty (Les Jeunes CC) 2 Caroline Mooney (McNally Swords CC) 3 Aileen Foley (McNally Swords CC) Under 16 1 Isaac Speirs (Avonmore Navan RC) 2 Chris Jensen (Sorrento CC) 3 Gary Rigley (Bray Wheelers) 4 Michael Daly (McNally Swords CC) Under 14 1 Philip Lavery (Usher IRC) 2 Conor Campbell (Drogheda Wheelers) 3 Axel O'Connor (Avonmore Navan RC) Under 12 1 Benner Maguire (Drogheda Wheelers) 2 Eric Fitzhugh (Orwell Dundrum SC) 3 Ciaran Campbell (Drogheda Wheelers) McArdle Cup Race, Dundalk 1 Gerard Cromwell (Stamullen M. Donnelly) 2 P. Gilmore (Ards CC) 3 E. Connaughton (Galway Bay CC) 4 C. Casey (Eire Og CC) 5 K. Lynch (Newry CC) 6 M. Kelly (Stamullen M. Donnelly) Bann Valley Classic - Portglenone: 1 Brendan O'Brien (Classic Walls) 2 Colm Watson (Total Cycling) 3 Dave McCall (Maryland) 4 Sean McGreevy (Phoenix) 5 Colin Lynn (Bann Valley) 6 Andy Flannery (Phoenix)
