Orwell scooped a hatful of results at Ras Mhaigh Eo this weekend, with Valdis Andersons, Brian McNally, Stephen Barry and Jamie Busher in the prizes. Dick O'Brien reports..
Rás Mhaigh Eo
Orwell Wheelers at the 2016 Rás Mhaigh Eo: Valdis Andersons, Manuel Fontan Garcia, Stephen Barry, Dick O'Brien (support), Daragh Boyd,and Freddie Stevens. Absent from the photo are Sandra Telford (support) Bernard English, Jamie Busher and Brian McNally (photo thanks to Dick O'Brien)
Netting third overall, Valdis Andersons led a strong Orwell challenge at Rás Mhaigh Eo this weekend with Brian McNally, Jamie Busher and Stephen Barry also in the prizes. Andersons laid the foundations for his result by getting into the break of the day on stage one and unleashing his trademark sprint to bag second on the stage. A strong TT on stage 2A left him third on the general classification before Sunday afternoon’s final stage, where he was assisted by a strong team effort in securing his result and also earning himself an upgrade to A1.
Stephen Barry was one of the most aggressive riders in the race, getting into the break on Saturday and Sunday. Barry came away with eighth on stage 2B and made a serious challenge for the Mountains Classification. Joining him in the break on Sunday afternoon were Brian McNally and Jamie Busher. McNally’s powerful surge at the finish saw him earn second on the stage and move him up to 15th on the general classification, netting him enough points to get an upgrade to A2. Busher’s strong ride was rewarded with fifth on the stage and 21st overall.
Saturday
Rás Mhaigh Eo has always been a happy hunting ground for Orwell and, with an eight man team of Jamie Busher, Valdis Andersons, Daragh Boyd, Stephen Barry, Manuel Fontan Garcia, Freddie Stevens, Bernard English and Brian McNally, the club went into the weekend with plenty of cards to play.
Stephen Barry was one of the main animators of stage 1, attacking in the opening kilometres and helping establish the break of the day along with two other riders. With the break’s gap going out, Andersons cannily rode across to it, in the company of the eventual stage winner Richard Meaney. The five men in the break worked well together, with the gap going out to 2:45 at one point.
Andersons and Barry in the day's decisive break (photo thanks to Dick O'Brien)
As race wound its way back towards Westport, their advantage began to fall as the bunch became serious about mounting a chase. Barry was unlucky to lose contact with the break with 15km to go, having ridden himself into the ground almost from the gun.
With the bunch closing quickly the four remaining riders held their nerve and kept riding through until the final kilometre. While nobody could respond to a big attack from Meaney, Andersons wasn’t going to let anyone best him in the sprint for second.
Sunday
Bernard English during the time trial (photo thanks to Jimmy McElroy)
A downpour in near freezing temperatures weren’t ideal conditions for Sunday morning’s time trial and the Orwell team had a challenge to get warmed up. Andersons was best of the Orwells, at 18th on the stage, while Brian McNally’s 31st and Jamie Busher’s 32nd moved them up the standings and laid the foundations for a challenge in the afternoon.
A nervy start to Stage 2B on Sunday afternoon saw Andersons carefully watching yellow wearer Caimin Muldoon. With attacks being closely marked, it took a while for a break to establish itself, but when it did Jamie Busher and Stephen Barry managed to ride across to it, leaving Orwell with a strong hand. Barry was once again on the hunt for mountains points, picking up more on the stage and just falling short of eventual classification winner DID’s Eoin Lynch.
Back in the bunch, the Orwell team including Fontan, Stevens, English, Boyd and McNally did a fine job of helping keep the break’s advantage trimmed back so as not to threaten Andersons’ overall position. As the stage neared the finish and the break began to be hauled back, McNally had the legs to clip off the front of the bunch and ride across to the break. On the long drag to the finish, McNally capped a barnstorming display by turning on the afterburners to get second on the stage, while Busher and Barry were hot on his heals to get fifth and eighth.
Brian McNally taking second in the sprint (photo thanks to Jimmy McElroy)
General Classification
1 Caimin Muldoon Team Aquablue
2 Richard Meaney Westport Covey Wheelers
3 Valdis Andersons Scott-Orwell Wheelers
4 Matthew Mullagh Sundrive Track Team
5 Conn McDunphy Lucan
6 Cathal Dillane Seven Springs
7 Leo Temple Longford
8 Ian Cassidy Fixx Rouleurs
9 Cathal Usher Western Lakes
10 Dermot Trulock Lucan
11 Niall Dwyer UCD
12 Cian Sutcliffe Lucan
13 Michael Mullin Longford
14 Andrew Keogh Lucan
15 Brian McNally Scott-Orwell Wheelers
A3 Classification
1 Cian Sutcliffe Lucan
2 Michael Mullin Longford
3 Brian McNally Scott-Orwell Wheelers
Vets Classification
1 Andrew Keogh Lucan
2 Kieran McGrory Lakeland
3 Jamie Busher Scott-Orwell Wheelers
Stage 1
1 Richard Meaney Westport Covey Wheelers
2 Valdis Andersons Scott-Orwell Wheelers
3 Caimin Muldoon Team Aquablue
4 Matthew Mullagh Sundrive Track Team
5 Constantin Bartels Waterford Racing Club
6 Conn McDunphy Lucan
7 Shane Quinn MRT-Planet C-Carnac
8 Eoin Lynch DID
9 Leo Temple Longford
8 Ian Cassidy Fixx Rouleurs
9 Cathal Usher Western Lakes
10 Cathal Dillane Seven Springs
Stage 2B
1 Cathal Dillane Seven Springs
2 Brian McNally Scott-Orwell Wheelers
3 Eoin Lynch DID
4 Conn McDunphy Lucan
5 Jamie Busher Scott-Orwell Wheelers
6 Daniel Merriman Waterford
7 Paul O Connell Tipp Wheelers
8 Stephen Barry Scott-Orwell Wheelers
9 Cathal Usher Western Lakes
10 Niall Dwyer UCD
