The Noel O'Neill Trophy was run as a one day event in The Phoenix Park in 2017. Since 2018 the event has been a 2 day, 3 stage event which attracts some of the best racers in the country. In 2019 Noel O'Neill was on hand to return the trophy to defending Champion Paul Forristal of Scott Orwell Wheelers. Results and round up below...

 

LINK TO GOOGLE SPREADSHEETS WITH FULL RESULTS: Orwell Stage Race 2019 Full Results

 

STAGE 1: Saturday 1st June

Stage 1 was an 11km out and back time trial. There isn't much more than can be said other than it was a wet and windy morning and a tough start for the riders!

Stage 1 Results:

1, Paul Kennedy, 13:30;

2, Kevin McCambridge, 13:47;

3/4 Liam Curley/Cian Keogh 13:56;

5, Greg Swinand, 13:59.

 

STAGE 2: Saturday 1st June

Short laps, lumpy road - it was always going to be "interesting" and it didn't disappoint!

The group stayed together for the first 2 of 10 laps then a break of about 7 riders got clear. On the final lap Paul Forristal attacked on the climb and the only one to go with him was Smith of Ciclotel. As they rounded the final corner with 400m to go it was a 2 horse race with Paul pulling clear in the last 100m with plenty of time to debate a 1 or 2 handed salute before he crossed the line;)

 

Stage 2 results:

1, Paul Forristal, Scott Orwell Wheelers

2, Mark Smith, Ciclotel Travel fueled by YPB

3, Conor Murnane, UCD;

4, Ronan Killeen, Lucan CC

5, David Brody, Castlebar;

6, James Davenport, Velorevolution;

7, Colm Sheehan, Blarney CC

8, Ryan Geraghty, Bikeworx.

9. Tom Moriarty, O'Leary Stone Kanturk

10. Cian Keogh, Ciclotel Travel fueled by YPB

 

STAGE 3: Sunday 2nd June

It was a morning of typical Irish weather that greeted the racers this morning - rain, sun, wind....it had it all. Rolling out at 9am Paul Forristal was wearing the Yellow Jersey after Paul Kennedy didnt start. Conor Murnane was in the Green Jersey, Kevin McCambridge in White and Mark Smith in the Polka Dots.

4 laps of a tough 27km circuit with only 5km of flat road each time around meant the race would suit the fittest and toughest! In lap one the race ebbed and flowed with a couple of attacks as riders found their race legs and checked out the circuit and a small break started to form. On lap 2 the break bedded in and contained most of the main protagonists - Forristal, McCambridge, Moriarty, Curley, Keogh and McCarter. Behind the field split into several chasing groups including Green jersey wearer Murnane who fought hard to get to the break for the first couple of laps but never made the catch.

This break stayed away until the end with Tom Moriarty taking the kom points on 3 of the 4 laps before falling off the back of the group last time up the climb. The remainder came to the finish more or less together with Liam Curley taking the stage in an exciting sprint with Cian Keogh to consolidate his place on the overall podium. Darragh McCarter took 3rd place on the day.

In the overall, Paul Forristal, Scott Orwell retained his title with Kevin McCambridge, Chill NRPT in 2nd and Liam Curley, Strata3 Velo Revolution in 3rd. The green jersey also went to Paul Forristal, Kevin McCambridge took the White jersey and Tom Moriarty took the polka dots.

 

Stage result:

1. Liam Curley, STRATA3/VeloRevolution Racing Team

2. Cian Keogh, Ciclotel Travel fueled by YPB

3. Darragh McCarter, Donegal Bay Cycling Club

4. Kevin McCambridge, Vitus-Chill.ie-NRPT

5. Paul Forristal, Scott Orwell Wheelers

6. Greg Swinand, Team Dan Morrissey-McCarthy Insurance Group-Pactimo

7. Sean O’Malley, Western Lakes CC

8. Ronan Killeen, Lucan CC

 

FINAL OVERALL GC & CATEGORIES:

Final GC: Yellow Jersey

1. Paul Forristal, Scott Orwell Wheelers

2. Kevin McCambridge, Vitus-Chill.ie-NRPT

3. Liam Curley, STRATA3/VeloRevolution Racing Team

4. Cian Keogh, Ciclotel Travel fueled by YPB

5. Greg Swinand, Team Dan Morrissey-McCarthy Insurance Group-Pactimo

6. Darragh McCarter, Donegal Bay Cycling Club

7. Ronan Killeen, Lucan CC

8. Sean O’Malley, Western Lakes CC

9. James Davenport, STRATA3/VeloRevolution Racing Team

10. Colm Sheehan, Blarney Cycling Club

 

Final Points Classification: Green Jersey

1. Paul Forristal, Scott Orwell Wheelers

2. Ronan Killeen, Lucan CC

3. Liam Curley, STRATA3/VeloRevolution Racing Team

Final KOH Classification: Polka Dot Jersey

1. Tom Moriarty, O'Leary Stone Kanturk

2. Liam Curley, STRATA3/VeloRevolution Racing Team

3. Mark Smith, Ciclotel Travel fueled by YPB

 

Final Junior Classification: White Jersey

1. Kevin McCambridge, Vitus-Chill.ie-NRPT

2. Aaron Wade, Vitus-Chill.ie-NRPT

3. Conor Farrell, Lakeside Wheelers Mullingar CC

4. Tom Moriarty, O'Leary Stone Kanturk

5. Oisin Doherty, Donegal Bay Cycling Club

6. Sean Barret, O'Leary Stone Kanturk

 

Unplaced A2 Classification:

1. Aidan Connell, Dungarvan CC

2. Thomas Walsh, Comeragh CC

3. Jason Kenny, UCD CC

 

LINKS TO PHOTO ALBUMS:

Stage 1:
 
Stage 2:
 
Stage 3:
Sean Rowe: Stage 1 Sean Rowe Photos

 

THANKS:

On behalf of the club we would like to sincerely thank everyone involved in organising and helping out at the Race. It takes a huge amount of work behind the scenes to even get to the start line let alone on the day. Special thanks to Stephen O'Shea and Dave Mc for all the hours of work put in to make this happen.

Thanks to Club Members, Family and Friends for giving up their Bank Holiday Weekend to Marshal. To Members of An Garda Siochana for all their help, to Wicklow CoCo for their Support, Code Blue Ambulance Service, and to the Beehive staff for welcoming and feeding us - and also opening up at very non pub hours!

Thanks to the Cycling Ireland Commissars Ronan Fox, Larry Farrell and trainnee Nina. To our photo finish operator David Mullin, John Ryan's motorcade, Garda Liasion David Maguire and Cycling Leinster for loaning us their radios.

Stephen Murphy in Murphy & Gunne Motors very kindly loaned us 3 cars for the event and club kit supplier VeloRevolution supplied the classification jerseys as well as water bottles for all the entrants.

Finally thanks to our Club Sponsor Scott Sports and Quanta Capital who help make the magic happen!