Dempsey pounces to claim first career victory
Dempsey won by a second from Conor Murphy (Kanturk Credit Union CC).
The 25 year old Clonmel man, riding for the Dan Morrissey Carrick Wheelers team that dominated much of the proceedings over the weekend, went into the final stage 17 seconds behind the two Kerry riders, John Griffin from Tralee, who led by less than two-tenths of a second from former winner Eugene Moriarty from Listowel.
It was only natural that the spotlight would be on this pair when the riders left Killorglin yesterday morning but they missed the bus when a six-man group went clear of the main bunch on the first of three laps of the 15 mile Killorglin-Beaufort circuit.
The lead group consisted of two Dan Morrissey Carrick Wheelers riders, Martin O'Loughlin, winner of Saturday's 94-mile Connor Pass stage, and Cork man Timmy Barry, legendary Rás rider Philip Cassidy, Eddie O'Donoghue from Clonmel riding for Team Murphy & Gunn, Simon Saunders (Surrey League), winner of Friday's opening stage, and Michael O'Donnell (Leinster Cycling Federation).
The gap opened and suddenly Martin O'Loughlin, manager of last year's Olympic team, was threatening the overall leadership. It was then that Timmy Barry, who gave O'Loughlin his back wheel when he punctured on Sunday's Skelligs Ring stage, went to the front to drive the group along.
"Timmy gave an exhibition," O'Loughlin said afterwards. "I went into the stage hoping for the points jersey. Now I had a chance of yellow."
The top two on general classification were playing a cat and mouse game at the front of the main bunch, oblivious to the damage being caused by the leading group.
Moriarty launched a ferocious attack up the hill in Killorglin with two laps of the three mile Donal McKenna circuit remaining but Griffin's Earl of Desmond team mate, reeled him in.
Then John Dempsey launched an attack that took a group away, he was joined by Rory Wyley, caught another Carrick Wheelers rider, Brian Truman, and Wyley and Truman went to work at the front to open up a lead of 1.14 on the top two back in the bunch.
Conor Murphy was also included in this group to make matters even more interesting.
"I was not sure what was happening behind. We were not getting any information on time gaps but I knew we were going well," Dempsey said.
Up ahead Eddie O'Donoghue, who has a long association with the race and wore the yellow jersey on a number of occasions, sprinted clear of the lead group to claim his second stage victory with Michael O'Donnell second ahead of Martin O'Loughlin who was celebrating his points victory.
But it was John Dempsey's day, as he and his team mates drove the group along to earn him a 57 second advantage over Griffin and Moriarty.
"It's just beyond my wildest dreams," he admitted afterwards. "I was so disappointed not to win the stage on Friday but I kept it going. Now I have my first Senior A win and it is overall victory in Ras Mumhan."
He paid tribute to his team mates for their contribution and particularly the assistance he got from Rory Wyley and Brian Truman once they got the group established.
It was bitter disappointment for overnight leader Paul Griffin, who has yet to win this race, and the Cycleways.com rider Eugene Moriarty.
"I only got on a racing bike two weeks ago. I was dead and buried on the Conor Pass on Saturday and here I was today with a chance of winning the overall," Moriarty said philosophically.
Martin O'Loughlin won the overall points classification while Paul Griffin found some consolation at the top of the KOM classification. Dan Morrissey Carrick Wheelers won the team classification.
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