Orwell packed out the placings in the A4 race at the Newbridge Credit Union Grand Prix in Kildare on Sunday. Patrick O'Brien scored the best result of his fledgling open race career in second place ahead of team mates Gavin Dodd, third, and Daniel Whiting, sixth on another fine day for the club's band of talented rookies.
O'Brien and Dodd were part of a five-man group that detached itself from the bunch in the closing kilometres of the 52km race that took in three laps of the Boston Hill circuit near the Curragh. The quintet charged past Whiting who had been engaged in a lone attempt to chase down a solo attacker. Whiting missed the fast moving break but still had enough energy to hang on ahead of the fast closing bunch to score his third placing from three mass start open races.
Meanwhile further ahead, O’Brien confirmed the form that made him a star turn on the hills on winter training spins. His second place bodes well for the season to come, especially given his relatively light training programme to date.
Dodds' performance in finishing third was even more noteworthy given that it was his open race debut. The testing nature of the terrain, along with his willingness to get involved in the late race attacking, points to a great future for Dodds.
See video footage of the finish here.
Meanwhile Declan Quigley upheld Orwell honour with 13th place from more than 150 entrants in the 70km A3 race.
The day before, first year junior Sean McKenna took third A4 in the rush to the line at the end of 70km of intermittent snow and freezing rain in the Ras Naomh Finian handicap. McKenna, accompanied by his father Mick who was making his comeback after a long layoff, was part of the large combined bunch of the A4 and A3 groups that held off the A1s and A2s to contest the finish in Clonard, Co Meath.
Newbridge Credit Union Grand Prix,
Newbridge, Sunday 13th March
A4 53km
1, Odhran O'Caoilte (Bray Wheelers);
2, Patrick O'Brien (Orwell Wheelers);
3, Gavin Dodd (Orwell Wheelers);
4, Darryll Bent (Staggs Lucan CC);
5, Richard Farrell (Team 905);
6, Daniel Whiting (Orwell Wheelers);
7, Brian Cullen (Bray Wheelers);
8, Patrick McCaffrey (Wexford Wheelers);
9, Murt Rice U/A;
10, Nicholas Coughlan (Barrow Wheelers).
A3 - 70km
1, Martin Culinane (Comeragh CC);
2, Alan Barrett (Fermoy CC);
3, Jason Howick (Bray Wheelers);
4, Ryan O'Donovan (Cork Co CC);
5, Brian Hart (Limerick CC);
6, Paul Flynn (Carrick Wheelers);
7, Brian Taffe (Dublin Wheelers CC);
8, Ciaran Farrell (Dublin Wheelers CC);
9, Andrew Bracken (Slip Stream);
10, Paul Bracken (Slip Stream);
11, Shane O'Donoghue Comeragh CC;
12, Eugene Lynch Blarney CC;
13, Declan Quigley Orwell Wheelers;
14, Mark Gunning S Wexford CC;
15, Ciaran O'Conluain UCD CC.
Ras Naomh Finian
Clonard, 12th March
70km
1, Tom Doyle (UCD);
2, Brian Martin (Seven Springs CC);
3, Darragh Mortimer (Epic MTB);
4, Ciaran Hallman (Dectek/Dunboyne);
5, Robbie Staunton (McNally Swords);
6, John Priest (Staggs Lucan);
7, Maciej Staroniewicz (Epic MTB);
8, Colm Farrell (Navan Avonmore).
1st Vet: Alan Maye (Clonard road Club).
1st Lady: Melanie Späth (Cycleways).
Fastest Rider: Colm Bracken (Murphy Surveys).
King of the Hills: Chris Reilly (Bohermeen CC).
Cat A2
1, Mark Heneghan (South Dublin CC);
2, Shane Hurley (Bernardo's);
3, Seths Minks (South Dublin CC).
Cat A3
1, Shaun Gilbride(Swords);
2, Ronan Berlez (Stagg Lucan);
3, Liam Browne (Murphy Surveys).
Cat A4
1, John Kenny (Navan Avonmore);
2, Damien O'Brien (Lakeside Wheelers);
3, Sean McKenna (Orwell Wheelers).
