Cycling Round Up

Feature: By Shane Stokes

GUERRA TAKES SHAY ELLIOT MEMORIAL: (By Shane Stokes Apr 27) Italian professional Alessandro Guerra raced to a fine victory today on the streets of Bray, winning a three-up sprint at the end of the gruelling Shay Elliot Memorial and taking the top points available in the world-ranking event.

The Endurasport.com/Principia pro had been part of a small group of riders who broke away before the halfway point and he then pressed on ahead with three others on the stiff climb of the Old Wicklow Gap. With the field wilting behind, Guerra, Banteer’s Richie Cahill and the Hibernian Team Ireland duo of Tim Barry and Paddy Moriarty worked well together to open a decisive gap. Just two riders were successful in their attempts to get back on terms with the leading quartet; Cidona Carrick’s Brian Kenneally and Lee Strand Cycleways rider Eugene Moriarty closed a minute’s gap before the group turned right to tackle the steep climb of Drumgoff.

Although Kenneally went to the front on the climb and set a tough pace on the early slopes, the rigours of the chase appeared to have taken a toll when shortly afterwards, both he and Eugene Moriarty wilted and lost contact. Tim Barry and Paddy Moriarty also faded, while ahead Cahill led Guerra past the Elliot monument and onto the twisting, technical descent.

The leading duo belted down the slopes, but the tricky bends here worked even more to Eugene Moriarty’s advantage as he managed to overcome his deficit and regain contact up front. The Listowel rider then applied the pressure on the run in towards the finish, jumping repeatedly in an effort to get away but Guerra and, particularly, Cahill managed to close him down each time. That paved the way for a three-up sprint, where the Italian blasted by Moriarty to take a good win and Cahill repeated his third place of last year.

Kenneally and Paddy Moriarty had mounted a good chase, at one time closing to within eleven seconds, and at the line the Cidona Carrick rider was a mere 14 seconds behind. Absent from racing for several months, he clearly is almost back to top form. Paddy Moriarty was also not too far off the pace set by the leading three, crossing the line 30 seconds down, while Timmy Barry and Dublin Wheelers’ Andrew Donnellan were next home.

Swift Post Shay Elliot Memorial,Wicklow (1.5): 1, Alessandro Guerra (Endura Sport.com/Principia) 97 miles in 3 hours 53 mins 45 secs (24.77 mph); 2, E. Moriarty (Lee Strand Cycleways) at 2 secs; 3, R. Cahill (Banteer CC) at 4 secs; 4, B. Kenneally (Cidona Carrick Wheelers) at 14 secs; 5, P. Moriarty (Hibernian Team Ireland) at 30 secs; 6, T. Barry (Hibernian Team Ireland) at 2 mins 36 secs; 7, A. Donnelan (Dublin Wheelers) at 2 min 40 secs; 8, H. Hutchinson (Scotland) at 2 mins 48 secs; 9, K. McMahon (Hibernian Team Ireland) at 4 mins 31 secs; 10, D. Lynch (Kanturk Credit Union) same time

Full results from Seamus Shortall here

RIDERS GEAR UP FOR SHAY ELLIOT MEMORIAL:  (By Shane Stokes Apr 24) One of the biggest races on the Irish calendar takes place this Sunday when the world-ranked Shay Elliot Memorial is fought out on the roads of Wicklow. Regarded by riders here as one of the toughest races in Ireland, its graduation to the UCI International calendar last year has made it the most important one-day event after the national road race championships. The 1.5 ranked race has a suitably demanding course, with the climbs of the Old Wicklow gap and Glenmalure/Drumgoff being particularly difficult.

The promoting Bray Wheelers cycling club have confirmed a decent line-up for the lengthened event, with teams from Britain, Scotland and the Isle of Man all travelling. And while last year’s winner Mark Lovatt is unable to take part, his Life Repair team is sending a strong under 23 squad which the team manager Philip Leigh hopes will fare well in the race. The home challenge will be led by a solid Hibernian Team Ireland squad, fronted by the in-form Paddy Moriarty, who was second in the Ras Mumhan last weekend.

The route for the Swiftpost-sponsored Shay Elliot memorial will be very similar to last year’s course until Roundwood, after which the riders will speed onwards to Calary and then down the twisting descent of the Long Hill to the traditional finish in Bray.

The race will start at Bray Town hall at 10.30 and finish approximately four hours later.