Teenagers O’Brien and Dunbar overpower elite men in winner takes all Tour of Connacht
Posted on: March 31st, 2014

Dylan O’Brien time trialing his way to overall victory at the Tour of Connacht yesterday. He combined his presence in the stage 1 escape on Saturday with a fantastic ride in the stage 3 TT yesterday afternoon to win the race overall from his Munster Sensa team mate Eddie Dunbar (Photo: James Wright Photography)







Teenager Dylan O’Brien has taken a sensational overall win in the Tour of Connacht in Castlebar this afternoon, with his Munster Sensa team mate Eddie Dunbar swooping in to take second.

It was the first time this season that a junior rider has beaten A1s in an event that did not involve handicaps.

The second-year junior internationals, who will make their debuts for the AC Bisontine team in France in a stage race next Friday, stormed to second and third place respectively in this afternoon’s time-trial stage 3.

Both were in the winning escape on Saturday that included seven men and gained 3:28 on the next best.

In that stage 1 escape were the three Munster Sensa Team juniors of O’Brien, Dunbar and Stephen Shanahan as well as Derek Joyce (Galway Bay CC), Anthony Murray (Subaru Montgomery Albion) and Mike Storan and Paddy Clarke of Liquidworx-Fitscience.

It was Storan who was quickest in the charge to the line and he took the opener, and the first yellow jersey of the race. In this morning’s stage 2 road race, it was Ger Corcoran (Covey Wheelers) who was quickest in the bunch sprint that settled it.

And while the stage 1 breakaway men still dominated the top of the leader board, there were some changes in their order.

Clarke took the yellow jersey from team mate Storan on count back and a crash forced junior rider Shanahan out, leaving just six of the stage 1 breakaway on equal time going into this afternoon’s concluding time trial.

Chris Troy (Castlebar CC) won the eight-kilometre test, clocking a superb 10 minutes 55 seconds but was not in the winning move on stage 1 and so never threatened for the overall win.

O’Brien was just a second behind him in the test with Dunbar at 14 seconds back, and Paddy Clarke a further five seconds adrift.

The result saw O’Brien take the final yellow and Dunbar go 2nd. Clarke dropped to third overall, with Derek Joyce (Galway Bay CC) taking fourth. Mike Storan (Liquidworx-Fitscience), who won yesterday’s opener, was 14th on the stage at 39 seconds, and dropped back to fifth overall.

But the day belonged to O’Brien. A bronze medallist from last year’s National Junior Road Race Championships, he adds this weekend’s overall victory to a fine win at the Charleville Park Hotel Two-Day last September.

Today he was against a stronger peloton, laced with A1 riders, and though his Munster Sensa team were numerically disadvantaged against a strong looking six-man Liquidworx-Fitscience team, amongst others, he made the most of the cards he was dealt.

The win is even more impressive because they lost Shanahan on today’s second stage when he touched wheels with Storan on the way across to a dangerous looking move and went down heavily before subsequently abandoning.

After this morning’s 60 kilometre stage 2, it looked to be slipping away from O’Brien. The Liquidworx-Fitscience team controlled the race, shutting down the best that the Munster Sensa trio had to offer.

A five-man move that featured Tony Bourke (Galway Bay CC), David Nugent (Seven Springs CC), Padraig Marrey (Western Lakes CC), Chris Troy (Castlebar CC) and Marc Potts (Omagh Wheelers) pulled out 50 seconds at one stage but was also reeled in.

In the latter half of the morning road stage, the expected wave of attacks came thick and fast with Dunbar putting in some ferocious digs and O’Brien never too far away to counter, while Shanahan was always lurking with intent also before he crashed out.

Mark Shannon and Potts, along with Eddie Barry (Liquidworx-Fitscience) clipped away late, with the latter enjoying a free ride. But that move was pulled back to set up a bunch sprint.

That went to Ger Corcoran (Covey Westport Wheelers) who started his sprint early but had the strength to hold off a fast-finishing pack that was led in by Omagh’s Potts and Clarke.

Clarke then took the yellow jersey on count back going into this afternoon’s time trial. And with Shanahan forced out, the six remaining riders from the successful stage 1 escape started the test equal on time. O’Brien and Dunbar proved fastest of them to take a 1-2 overall.






Tour Of Connacht: Stage 3 TT Results
1 Chris Troy Castlebar CC A1 00:10:55 -
2 Dylan O Brien Munster Juniors A3 00:10:56 at 01,
3 Eddie Dunbar Munster Juniors A3 00:11:09 at 14,
4 Patrick Clarke Liquidworx A1 00:11:14 at 19,
5 Cale Coen Castlebar CC A3 00:11:17 at 22,
6 Daire Feeley Donamon A3 00:11:21 at 26,
7 Tony Bourke Galway Bay A3 00:11:24 at 29,
8 James Mc Creevy Covey Wheelers A3 00:11:28 at 33,
9 Gareth Mc Cormick Liquidworx A1 00:11:29 at 34,
10 Marc Potts Omagh Wheelers A1 00:11:30 at 35,
11 Paul Mc Carter Omagh Wheelers A2 00:11:31 at 36,
12 Derek Joyce Galway Bay A1 00:11:31 at 36,
13 Paul Dunne Ballina CC A3 00:11:32 at 37,
14 Mike Storan Liquidworx A1 00:11:34 at 39,
15 Jason Prendergast Liquidworx A2 00:11:37 at 42,
16 Padraig Marrey Western Lakes A1 00:11:38 at 43,
17 Richard Meaney Covey Wheelers A3 00:11:39 at 44,
18 Daviid Nugent Seven Springs A2 00:11:41 at 46,
19 David Walsh Covey Wheelers A3 00:11:46 at 51,
20 Mark Shannon Visit Nenagh A1 00:11:47 at 52,
21 Ger Corcoran Covey Wheelers A3 00:11:49 at 54,
22 Michael Stafford Wexford Wheelers A3 00:12:00 at 1:05,
23 Joe Mulleady Curlieu Wheelers A3 00:12:01 at 1:06,
24 Sean O Malley Western Lakes A1 00:12:04 at 1:09,
25 Padraic Hughs Western Lakes A3 00:12:06 at 1:11,
26 Donal Kelly Galway Bay A2 00:12:07 at 1:12,
27 Anthony Murray Subaru A1 00:12:11 at 1:16,
28 Darragh Mc Carter Omagh Wheelers A2 00:12:15 at 1:20,
29 Stephen Murphy Cunga CC A3 00:12:21 at 1:26,
30 Eddie Barry Liquidworx A1 00:12:23 at 1:28,
31 Kieran Heneghan Western Lakes A3 00:12:24 at 1:29,
32 Jimmy Dignam Adamstown A3 00:12:29 at 1:34,
33 Paul Harrington Dolmen A3 00:12:34 at 1:39,
34 Gary McDonald Visit Nenagh A2 00:12:38 at 1:43,
35 Daragh O Mahoney Munster Juniors A3 00:12:41 at 1:46,
36 Valerio De Bacco Galway Bay A3 00:12:41 at 1:46,
37 Thomas Walsh Castlebar CC A3 00:12:44 at 1:49,
38 Joe Noonan Visit Nenagh A3 00:12:44 at 1:49,
39 Michasel Butler Visit Nenagh A1 00:12:51 at 1:56,
40 Gary Moran Castlebar CC A3 00:13:13 at 2:18,
41 Michael Walsh Castlebar CC A3 00:13:23 at 2:28,




Final General Classification
1 Dylan O Brien Munster Juniors A3 04:02:22,0 -
2 Eddie Dunbar Munster Juniors A3 04:02:35,0 at 13,
3 Patrick Clarke Liquidworx A1 04:02:40,0 at 18,
4 Derek Joyce Galway Bay A1 04:02:57,0 at 35,
5 Mike Storan Liquidworx A1 04:03:00,0 at 38,
6 Anthony Murray Subaru A1 04:03:37,0 at 1:15,
7 Marc Potts Omagh Wheelers A1 04:06:24,0 at 4:02,
8 Daire Feeley Donamon A3 04:06:45,0 at 4:23,
9 Mark Shannon Visit Nenagh A1 04:06:45,0 at 4:23,
10 Tony Bourke Galway Bay A3 04:06:48,0 at 4:26,
11 Gareth Mc Cormick Liquidworx A1 04:06:53,0 at 4:31,
12 James Mc Creevy Covey Wheelers A3 04:06:54,0 at 4:32,
13 Paul Mc Carter Omagh Wheelers A2 04:06:57,0 at 4:35,
14 Jason Prendergast Liquidworx A2 04:06:58,0 at 4:36,
15 Paul Dunne Ballina CC A3 04:06:58,0 at 4:36,
16 Padraig Marrey Western Lakes A1 04:07:04,0 at 4:42,
17 Daviid Nugent Seven Springs A2 04:07:07,0 at 4:45,
18 Ger Corcoran Covey Wheelers A3 04:07:15,0 at 4:53,
19 Eddie Barry Liquidworx A1 04:07:17,0 at 4:55,
20 Joe Mulleady Curlieu Wheelers A3 04:07:27,0 at 5:05,
21 Padraic Hughs Western Lakes A3 04:07:32,0 at 5:10,
22 Darragh Mc Carter Omagh Wheelers A2 04:07:41,0 at 5:19,
23 Kieran Heneghan Western Lakes A3 04:07:50,0 at 5:28,
24 Jimmy Dignam Adamstown A3 04:07:55,0 at 5:33,
25 Paul Harrington Dolmen A3 04:08:00,0 at 5:38,
26 Gary McDonald Visit Nenagh A2 04:08:04,0 at 5:42,
27 Valerio De Bacco Galway Bay A3 04:08:07,0 at 5:45,
28 Thomas Walsh Castlebar CC A3 04:08:08,0 at 5:46,
29 Michasel Butler Visit Nenagh A1 04:08:17,0 at 5:55,
30 Richard Meaney Covey Wheelers A3 04:12:24,0 at 10:02,
31 Michael Stafford Wexford Wheelers A3 04:12:45,0 at 10:23,
32 Stephen Murphy Cunga CC A3 04:13:09,0 at 10:47,
33 Cale Coen Castlebar CC A3 04:13:26,0 at 11:04,
34 Gary Moran Castlebar CC A3 04:13:58,0 at 11:36,
35 Sean O Malley Western Lakes A1 04:14:23,0 at 12:01,
36 Donal Kelly Galway Bay A2 04:17:33 at 15:11,
37 David Walsh Covey Wheelers A3 04:17:53,0 at 15:31,
38 Chris Troy Castlebar CC A1 04:17:56,0 at 15:34,
39 Daragh O Mahoney Munster Juniors A3 04:23:01,0 at 20:39,
40 Michael Walsh Castlebar CC A3 04:23:50,0 at 21:28,
41 Joe Noonan Visit Nenagh A3 04:33:18,0 at 30:56,
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