Shay Elliot Memorial - 1.5

Ireland, April 27, 2003

2002 Results Results Past winners

Guerra shines in Elliot Memorial

By Tommy Campbell, Irish Independent, Evening Herald, Sunday Independent

Alessandro Guerra from Verona in Italy outmanoeuvred his breakaway companions to land the Swift Post sponsored Shay Elliott in a hectic sprint finish in Bray today. The former Saeco and Index Alexia professional was never far from the engine room of the UCI 1.5 ranked race, as the 122 competitors tackled a hard but sporting course in Co. Wicklow, with the start and finish in the seaside town.

Early on in the 100 mile event, there were several breaks which in essence made much headway, until after the first category climb at the Old Wicklow Gap. Into the village of Aughrim, Paddy Moriarty, Ritchie Cahill, Timmy Barry and Guerra were out front, but a superhuman effort both by Brian Kenneally and Eugene Moriarty who were adrift of the quartet by a minute, joined up on the outskirts of Aughrim.

From then it was a question as to who would falter on the ascent to the Glenmalure prime, where invariably down the years the winner has always been in the lead pack. Climbing to the summit, Kenneally, Barry and both Moriarty’s were in difficulty. The Italian and Cahill went over ahead, but on the descent, Eugene Moriarty caught the two leaders.

The trio forced the pace with Moriarty very active all the way to the finish where the Italian just cruised by the fading Moriarty, who had given his all with Cahill back in third spot. Kenneally came through to finish in fourth pace.

Runner-up, Eugene Moriarty (Lee Strand/Cycleways) said afterwards that, "I literally had them on the ropes and didn't deliver the final knock-out punch.If you had told me a week ago that I woud be in the shake-up, I would have smiled at you. Still, hopefully I'll deliver the 'Elliott' to the Kingdom (Kerry)."

Willie Tarrant, Chief Commissarie, added that it was "a wonderful event. Alessandro Guerra, I never had his name off my sheet. He was in all the moves. You Irish love your cycling and today you put on a on a first class show. The weather was fantasic and you finished off the event with an Italian flavour."

Results - 155 km

1 Alessandro Guerra (Ita) Endura Sport.com-Principia  3.53.45
2 Eugene Moriarty (Irl) Lee Strand Cycleways             0.02
3 Richard Cahill (Irl) Banteer CC                        0.04
4 Brian Kinneally (Irl) Cidona Carrick Wheele            0.14
5 Paddy Moriarty (Irl) Hibernian Team Ireland            0.30
6 Tim Barry (Irl) Hibernian Team Ireland                 2.36
7 Andew Donnellon (Irl) Dublin Wheelers                  2.40
8 Hamish Hutchinson (GBr) Scotland                       2.48
9 Kieran McMahon (Irl) Hibernian Team Ireland            4.31
10 Denis Lynch (Irl) Kanturk Credit Union
11 Andrew Roche (Irl) Team Isle of Man
12 Michael Mulcahy (Irl) Usher Irish Road Club           4.35
13 Daniel Lloyd (GBr) Endura Sport.com-Principia
14 Mark Quigley (Irl) Mayo Wheelers
15 Ray Clarke (Irl) Lee Strand Cycleways                 4.44
16 Vincent Gleeson (Irl) Hibernian Team Ireland          4.46
17 Philip Finegan (Irl) Lee Strand Cycleways             6.00
18 David Peelo (Irl) Usher Irish Road Club
19 Bryan Russell (GBr) Scotland
20 Ben Greenwood (GBr) Life Repair Group                 6.06
21 Graeme Hatcher (GBr) Team Isle of Man
22 Greg Swinard (Irl) Usher Irish Road Club              6.14
23 Daniel Lynch (Irl) Kanturk Credit Union               7.39
24 Owen Jeffries (Irl) Cycling Ulster
25 Christian Varley (GBr) Team Isle of Man
26 Graham Briggs (GBr) Life Repair Group
27 Paul Griffin (Irl) Team Earl of Desmond
28 Dermot Healy (Irl) Dublin Skip
29 John Peppard (Irl) Lee Strand Cycleways
30 Stephen O'Sullivan (Irl) Lee Strand Cycleways
31 Bobby Behan (Irl) Lee Strand Cycleways
32 Tim Allan (GBr) Scotland
33 Paul Doyle (Irl) Tilechoice TRT
34 John Horgan (Irl) St Finbarrs CC
35 Mark Kiernan (Irl) Total Cycling / Linds             12.48
36 Andrew Cook (GBr) Team Isle of Man                   14.18
37 Daire McCaughley (Irl) Dublin Wheelers
38 David Tansey (Irl) Orwell Wheelers                   17.16
39 Paul Rennie (GBr) Scotland
40 Mark McCleavey (Irl) Dublin Skip
41 Eugene Murtagh (Irl) Ravens CRT
42 Ken Norgrove (Irl) Dublin Wheelers
43 Scott McDonald (Irl) Orwell Wheelers
44 John Dillon (Irl) Ravens CRT
45 Ben Morrow (GBr) Cycling Ulster
46 John Mason (Irl) Lee Strand Cycleways
47 Cody Harple (USA) Essex County Velo
48 Adrian Hedderman (Irl) Lee Strand Cycleways
49 Eddie Donohoe (Irl) Usher Irish Road Club
50 Keith O'Sullivan (Irl) Dublin Skip
51 Miceal Concannon (Irl) Killorglin Credit Uni
52 Derek Cunningham (Irl) Bray Wheelers CC
53 Ciaran Kelly (Irl) Dublin Wheelers
54 John O'Shea (Irl) Cidona Carrick Wheele
55 Joe Fenlon (Irl) Cidona Carrick Wheele
56 Martin O'Loughlin (Irl) Cidona Carrick Wheele
57 Michael Dennehy (Irl) Kanturk Credit Union
58 Mark Colbert (Irl) Tilechoice TRT                    19.34
59 Fergal Kelly (Irl) Bray Wheelers CC
60 Stefan Wilson (GBr) Life Repair Group
61 Pat Kenneally (Irl) Cidona Carrick Wheele
62 Andrew McQuaid (Irl) VC St Lo Herbert
63 Geoff Liffey (Irl) Ravens CRT
64 Matt Ward (Irl) Cycling Ulster
65 Cathal Keane (Irl) Galway Bay CC
66 Frank O'Leary (Irl) Usher Irish Road Club
67 Keith Gallagher (Irl) Endura Sport.com-Principia
68 Cian Lynch (Irl) North Kildare CC
69 Colm Bracken (Irl) Usher Irish Road Club
70 Paul Teahan (Irl) Naas Road Club
71 Noel Moloney (Irl) Ravens CRT
72 Declan Kinch (Irl) Bray Wheelers CC
73 Gary Cranston (Irl) Cycling Ulster
74 Laurence Roche (Irl) North Kildare CC
75 Fintan McCormack (Irl) Newbridge CC

Sprint - Kilpedder

1 Paul Griffin (Irl) Team Earl of Desmond

KOM - Old Wicklow Gap

1 Tim Barry (Irl) Hibernian Team Ireland

KOM - Shay Elliott Monument

1 Richard Cahill (Irl) Banteer CC

Courtesy of Seamus Shortall/Rapid Results

Past winners

2002 Mark Lovatt (GBr)