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Comeragh Cycling Club News
Tour of Ulster 03/05/2009
Stage 1 Omagh - Omagh (122km)
First things first. This is a top class race, right up there with the likes of RAS Mumhan and is considered one of the best possible prepartions for the RAS and as such most of the top guns are all present and accounted for. This wasn't going to be easy.
Of course no-one told that to boy-wonder Mark Nugent who got into the winning break and hung with the big boys all day across a tough route with lots of climbing (and theres nothing Mark likes better than lots of climbing). In the end Mark finished in an excellent 10th place, 23 seconds down on stage winner Greg Swinand of Usher. The rest of the team finished in the main bunch some 10 minutes down. A great start courtesy of our resident mountain goat.
Stage 2 Omagh - Omagh 108km
Stage 2 although shorter would be tougher than the previous day due to the 5 categorised climbs including a cat1 with just 10km to go. The pace was hot from the start with lineouts galore and plenty of attacks going away and pulled back. Keith and Robin were active early on but failed to make the move of the day when a group of about 9 riders went away.
Recent RAS Mumhan winner Brian Kenneally chased down this break and promptly blew them all away on the cat1 climb to win on his own. Keith did well to finish around 11th place whilst our GC leader at the start of the day, Mark Nugent suffering from his efforts the day before, exploded and lost a considerable amount of time... The rest of the team tried to nurse him to the finish with Don and Robin finishing a couple of minutes down, Mark a couple of minutes behind them and Martin Gill another couple of minutes again. The bad news ? There was still a TT to come later in the day !
Stage 3 (3.7km TT)
Stage 3 was a short sharp 3.7km TT, not much you may think, but try it against the best riders in the country after spending a morning racing up and down mountains with those riders !
Former pro Martin Irvine blitzed the field on this one, best of the Comeragh riders was Robin in around 11th place.
Robin Kelly 5:07
Keith Gater 5:12
Mark Nugent 5:28
Martin Gill 5:24
Don Feighery 5:38
In the important race back to the showers however, Mark recovered his form and dropped Keith on the last hill before the B&B. Amazing what the prospect of clean towels and a bit of grub can do for the legs.
UPDATE: We were the third fastest team in the TT. Well done lads !
Stage 4 (104k)
The final stage defied expectations by being the hardest day of all. We went to Ulster for training for the RAS and today we got as close to a RAS stage as you can get with strong crosswinds and brutal lineouts. Mark Nugents weary legs gave in near the end when he became one of the many riders to get shelled from the main bunch. Keith Gater fared even worse, crashing on gravel with 20 miles to go and having to retire. Robin, Don and Martin Gill all finished in the broken remains of the main bunch which was a pretty good result.
On the day Sean Downey of Banbridge did enough to take the overall and become the youngest ever winner of the race.
So thats it for RAS preparations. Less than 2 weeks now to the big roll out !
A handful of pictures HERE
Full race reports and pictures on CyclingUlster.com
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