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 3rd 2011 winner Charles Prendergast jumped clear from the bunch with Liam Frawley Galway Bay to get 3rd and 4th respectively, with Liam Corcoran Castlebar CC winning the bunch gallop from Thomas Fallon Seven springs.
1st Paul O Connell C4SC
2nd Kieran Gallagher Swinford CC
3rd Charles Prendergast Cunga CC
4th Liam Frawley Galway Bay CC
5th Liam Corcoran Castlebar CC
6th Thomas Fallon Seven Springs
7th Michael Brady Covey Westport
8th Jason Prendergast Cunga CC