By Paddy Kelly,
Bray Wheelers PRO
Bray divided their riders into two separate teams last weekend to cover a
second and third category one day Classic in Dunlavin aswell as the first
and second category Ras Connachta three day stage race in Galway.The riders
themselves selected the teams and got great results in both events.
In Dunlavin on Sunday Bray rode an attacking race.Before the half way mark
Rob Wyse mad a solo attack and got clear of the peleton making him leader
on the road for some time. Unfortunately he gave it to much to soon and was
reeled back by an eager peleton of eighty riders. Robs team-mates Ger Ivory
and Lar Mcloughlin had been sitting in the peleton letting others waste energy
chasing down the Bray attack. This left Lar with fresh legs for the sprint
which he used well taking third place,putting a Bray man on the podium.
The Ras Connachta called for more endurance and experience with the majority
of riders being of first of category giving three days of high standard racing.
Frank o'Leary, Fergal Kelly, Derek Cunningham and Ger Myley made up a competitive
team. Frank was well up on GC after a good stage one and Time Trial however
left it to Derek on the mountains to represent Bray. Derek give it everything
on the climbs sprinting for every Prime Montana earning him second place in
the King of the mountains points competition. Having now earned the respect
of the peleton and the nick name as Cunningham King of the Climbs, Derek seized
the opportunity on top of the last climb and broke away with a small group
of quality riders for seventy miles at a pace that caused four of the breakaway
to pull out leaving the Bray man and two other key players out on their own.
His luck ran out a short distance from the finish line with the chasers closing
the gap joining the field again. Bray now sure they had lost their chance
of a podium finish needed a sprinter to salvage their chances of glory. Fergal
who has been on form in Criterium sprinting events of late stepped up to mark
leaving the hundred strong peleton behind finishing second only to former
professional Michael Fitzgerald.
News, 06 July 2004
