Power surges to title in style
And there was good news for the two-time Olympian immediately afterwards when Martin O’Loughlin, who has been added to the selection team for the Olympic Games, promised to have the criteria for selection published inside the next 10 days.
“I have just been appointed to the committee to select the team for the Olympics along with the team manager, Frank Campbell, and Ciaran McKenna,” said O’Loughlin who managed the Irish cycling team for the Athens Olympics. “I can state categorically that the criteria for selection will be published within the next 10 days.”
After winning the opening stage of Rás Mumhan on Friday, Ciaran Power was critical of the fact that he had been seeking the criteria since December but had heard nothing to date.
So Martin O’Loughlin’s promise was an added bonus to Power, who put on an amazing show of strength over the mountains and roads of Kerry at the Easter weekend.
Indeed it appeared O’Loughlin, who rides for Dan Morrissey Carrick Wheelers, might share in the glory yesterday after he again led an early three-man break that dominated most of the stage.
He was joined by young Tralee rider, Denis Dunworth (An Post/Sean Kelly Development Team) and Vincent Gleeson (West Clare CC) and they went over a minute clear. They were strengthened when Midleton man Aidan Crowley (Myhome.ie/Cycleways) and Con Collis (Swords CC/Finglas Ravens), a former oarsman riding in only his fourth race, joined them.
They stayed clear for the three laps of the 15-mile Beaufort circuit but the main bunch, with Ciaran Power’s Pezula Racing team at the front, eat into the lead as they went out on five laps of the Donal McKenna circuit.
O’Loughlin, feeling the effect of Sunday’s crusade when he was in the group that led the race over four of the five climbs, began to fall back but Denis Dunworth, who had an amazing weekend, stayed clear until the final circuit.
Ciaran Power now loomed up to lead the chase, stalked by Mark Cassidy in the Mountains jersey. Liam Ryan (St Finbarr’s Ventilux) led out the sprint at the bottom of the hill, with former winner Eugene Moriarty screaming through. So Power pull out all the stops to win the race, with his eldest son Keegan watching at the finish line.
“He put me under a bit of pressure,” he admitted. “He told me he wanted me to win the race but it was difficult. Again I must pay tribute to my team because they were outstanding. I asked them not to allow the break to get an advantage of more than two minutes and they did what I asked them.
“I am delighted with the win. I came here to make a statement but I did not really expect to win three stages and finish second on the other. I wanted to be as aggressive as I can and I enjoyed it. I am not ready for the scrap heap just yet.
“Now I have a couple of races coming up and then the FBD Insurance Rás and I think we will have a really strong team for that.”
Another with the Rás on his mind is Eugene Moriarty (Myhome.ie/Cycleways) who was riding his first race since last August and highlighted his presence in the sprint up the hill. He is currently contracted to Pezula Racing but for the track only and has based himself in Amsterdam to train for that.
Liam Ryan, without the support of a team all weekend, enjoyed his visit to the podium. “Let’s face it, Ciaran was the strong man in this race. But I had a go and I just got caught on the line.”
Ciaran Power won the overall title by 2 mins 15 secs from Dutch rider, Tino Haakman (Forte Junie Translations) with Tralee man Paul Griffin (Giant Asia), recovering from a broken collarbone last month, third at 2:32.
“I now leave for the Tour of East Java,” Griffin said. “I was second overall two years ago and fifth last year in that race. My form is really coming around again and I’m hoping for a good race in East Java and then I want to make the Irish team for the Rás.”
Ciaran Power also won the points classification and his Pezula team won the team title while Mark Cassidy (An Post/Sean Kelly) won the KOM classification to claim his first major jersey. His father, Philip, is a Rás legend and a previous winner of Rás Mumhan.
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