O’Brien unstoppable in Clare

Former An Post Sean Kelly rider Páidí O’Brien claimed a brilliant win in the inaugural Kieran MacMahon Memorial Classic in Co Clare yesterday.

The Osborne Meats-Edge Sports rider beat his fellow breakaway men Dylan Foley (Aquablue) and Martin O’Loughlin (Iverk Produce Carrick Wheelers) to the line after the gruelling 150-kilometre event.

A break of nine escaped inside the opening 10kms yesterday but failed to put significant daylight between themselves and the bunch for a long time.

Sensing danger around the 100km mark, the aforementioned trio of O’Brien, O’Loughlin and Foley took flight from the leading 10.

Though they were brought back again by the original breakaway men, they went again, clearly showing they were three of the strongest.

Foley and O’Loughlin had O’Brien under pressure on the penultimate and last climbs but couldn’t shake the Banteer man.

And when it came down to that sprint, there was only ever going to be one winner, with O’Brien romping in.

Mike Storan (Fitscience-Liquidworx) took a brilliant fourth place, while Keith Gater (Aquablue) took fifth.