All hail the league survivors in Kilbride
Kilbride, Co. Wicklow, 7 May 2009
On a night when just surviving to the finish line was a feat of endurance Philip Browne of the Irish Road Club edged Round 6 of the Inter-Club League in Kilbride last Thursday.
After starting under a late evening sun, the race finished under a dark sky as hail and freezing wind battered the riders on the last of three laps of the lakeside circuit.
The Semi-Scratch closed a 2m 15" second gap to Semi-Limit and the small Limit group who had enjoyed a nominal advantage over the SL riders within seven kilometres. However, the Scratch riders failed to get on terms despite closing to within 25 seconds on the final tour.
Browne made his move just before the first bridge on the final lap as the hail was at its most virulent and the Semi-Scratch rookie showed his mettle to hold off the somewhat bedraggled chasing group in the final rush to the line.
Eddie Lynch left the best of his finishing sprint on the final hill in a vain effort to bridge the gap to the leader but still had enough in hand to manage fourth place in the dash to the line while Romano Morelli showed the value of his 12-month gloves and overshoes policy by galloping home a relatively toasty sixth.
Results
1. Philip Browne (Usher Irish Road Club)
2. Ciaran O’Conluain (UCD)
3. Aidan Yates (Usher Irish Road Club)
4. Eddie Lynch (Orwell Wheelers Dundrum Town Centre)
5. Emmanuel Schockaert (Staggs Lucan)
6. Romano Morelli (Orwell Wheelers Dundrum Town Centre)
