John Holian Cup results

Limerick army man out guns local opposition in Holian cup

Limerick man Paul O Connell (not the Rugby player) used his army training and the handicap to out gun the big hitters of Connacht cycling.

This local memorial race always attracts big numbers with 73 signing on for the handicap event, with the monsoon conditions of earlier in the day subsiding leaving a nice windy evening for racing.

The race was over 5 laps of 7 miles, with a handicap of 14minutes separating front to back.

In the early stages of the race Charles Prendergast Cunga CC fresh from the recent Ras showed he was in form when he dragged Thomas Fallon Seven springs away for a full lap before been reeled in by the rest of the scratch group, this caused the rest of the scratch group to ride conservatively thus allowing the front groups to make the most of the time allowance.

Up front ex Mayo football selector Kieran Gallagher from Swinford CC and Limerick’s Paul O Connell of Cycle for Sick Children club jumped away from their group building a consistent lead.

On the final lap the gap to the 2 leaders was 2.30mins with only 7 miles remaining, with the scratch joining forces with group 3 the odds was in the escapees favor and they held on for the win and in sporting fashion  they jointly crossed the line together with O Connell marginally ahead on the photo finish camera recording the victory.

In the sprint for 3^rd 2011 winner Charles Prendergast jumped clear from the bunch with Liam Frawley Galway Bay to get 3^rd and 4^th respectively, with Liam Corcoran Castlebar CC winning the bunch gallop from Thomas Fallon Seven springs.

1^st Paul O Connell C4SC

2^nd Kieran Gallagher Swinford CC

3^rd Charles Prendergast Cunga CC

4^th Liam Frawley Galway Bay CC

5^th Liam Corcoran Castlebar CC

6^th Thomas Fallon Seven Springs

7^th Michael Brady Covey Westport

8^th Jason Prendergast Cunga CC