Results and Reports for July 1, 2001

Ireland

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Irish Cycling Road Race Championship, Dunrod Circuit, Belfast, 13 laps of a 7.4 mile circuit.

By Tommy Campbell, Irish Independent/Evening Herald/Sunday Independent

David McCann proved to all and sundry that he was a worthy winner of Irish Cycling Road Championship. Yesterday he stole the show when he literally blitzed his breakaway companions in the final three miles of the 97-mile event held on the Dunrod Circuit on the outskirts of Belfast.

McCann is a professional with the CCC Mat team in Poland, and his racing in Europe showed, as he was definitely the fittest man in the peloton.

Of the 110 starters only 50 finished the fairly hilly course, which indicates the pace of the event as it was held in otherwise perfect conditions. Lap 2, of the 15 lap race, saw a breakaway group of 17, including McCann take control of the race.

As the championships entered the last three laps, 7 moved forward with David the commander-in-chief of the group. On the penultimate lap, Eugene Moriarty was the first to lose contact because of the incessant pressure that was being applied in particular by David and the eventual runner-up, Mark Scanlon. Going through the bell it looked as though the crowd were going to be treated to a sprint finish. However, with three miles to go, as the group approached the final climb of the day, McCann accelerated out of Irelands Corner and in the blink of an eye had opened a substantial gap. By the finish McCann was over a minute up on the other riders.

Former world junior champion Mark Scanlon edged out Paddy Moriarty for the runner-ups spot.

As the first back-to-back winners of the championship, David was full of admiration for the organisation, "I have to say, I regard as it one of the best victories of my career. Better than last years win in Cork. I came as favourite, but inwardly the pressure was enormous because it was my former club Phoenix Road CC who organised the championships and as you know I'm a local. Now I can celebrate with family and friends," said David.

In the team prize, Cycleways proved best with Eugene Moriarty being compensated with a team medal along with Philip Cassidy and Adrian Heddermann.

In the ladies event, Geraldine Gill dictated the pace and eventually was an easy winner from a field of 11 starters.

Irish Cycling Road Race Championship, Dunrod Circuit, Belfast, 13 laps of a 7.4 mile circuit.

Place, Name, Team                        Time

1 D. McCann (CCC Mat team, Poland)       3hrs. 51 00 
2 M. Scanlon (VC la Pommpe, France)             1.12 behind
3 P. Moriarty (Dublin Skip)                     same time
4 P. Griffin (unattached)                       same time
5 D. Peelo (Usher IRC)                          same time
6 R. Clarke (Classic Walls)                     same time
7 C. Power (Nantes, France)                     3.31 behind
8 G. McQuaid (Emerald CC)                       same time
9 D. Easton  (Glendale CC)                      same time
10 E. Moriarty  (Cycleways)                     same time

Ladies: 5 laps of 7.4 mile circuit.

Place, Name, Team

1 G. Gill (France)
2 S. O'Mara (Dublin Wheelers)
3 D. Booth (Dave Kane CC)

Results courtesy of Tommy Campbell/Independent/Evening Herald/Sunday Independ

Previous results from Ireland