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 Feature: By Shane Stokes August 2003
Other stages Stage 1
Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Stage
5 Stage 6 Visit the Event Website www.JuniorTour.org
Stage 6
REUS WINS M DONNELLY
JUNIOR TOUR; VAN HEEREN TAKES FINAL STAGE
The highly promising Dutch rider Kai Reus
comfortably held onto the yellow jersey on today's final stage of the M.
Donnelly Junior Tour, a fifty mile road race which started and finished in
Waterford. A constant stream of attacks were launched during the high-speed,
aggressive stage but Reus calmly sat in the midst of the bunch and bided his
time before making a daring bid for success with one kilometre to go.
He raced clear with a strong surge but was
overhauled with just 100 metres remaining, when South African rider Juan Van
Heerden nipped by to take a fine win. Second place on the stage went to London
Team rider Ben Crawforth, with Reus taking third and thus securing victory in
the points classification.
Colm Crawley (Stamullen M. Donnelly) was best of
the Irish in placing fifth on the stage, while Killarney's Richard Maes was one
place further back in sixth.
In the overall standings, Theo Hardwick of the
Ireland Stena Line team was the leading home rider in fifth place. His team-mate
Barry Woods was sixth, and both of them also took stage wins during the
prestigious six day event. South African Leon Nel won the mountains
classification while Crawforth was best first year junior. The Tempo BMV
Veldhoven squad were first in the team rankings, ahead of Ireland Stena Line.
Today's action began with a flurry of attacks,
moves which opened gaps over the main field but which were soon hauled back.
Ireland Stena Line's Mark Cassidy jumped clear at the drop of the flag, and once
he was hauled in his team-mate Barry Woods raced away on a short-lived attack.
However the first significant move did not occur until 17 miles into the stage,
when six riders opened up a 22 second gap. Three Irish were present - Eoin
Concannon (Killorglin), Paul Brady (McNally Swords) and Bray Wheelers' David
Pomeroy, and together with Egan Tarr (South Africa B), Jerome Copple (VC
D'Annemasse) and Ryan Bonser of the North West Divison squad, they held the
bunch at bay for several miles.
Brady had the misfortune to drop out of the break
with mechanical problems, but Cycling Ulster's Peter Hawkins brought their
number back up to six when he succeeed in bridging across the diminishing gap
just after the riders completed the first of two laps. The effort was however in
vain; two miles into the second lap, the bunch closed down the move.
A succession of small attacks followed, with Irish
representation by James Lawless (Usher IRC), Aidan O'Shea (Killorglin), Hawkins
and Pomeroy, but these too were short-lived. A significant move did however go
with seven miles remaining, when yellow jersey Reus, Woods and USA rider Jesse
Anthony combined to rip clear of the field. All stage winners in this year's
race, the firepower was certainly there to go all the way to the finish but
after two miles the frantically-chasing main field succeeded in getting across.
Dataphonics rider Bruce Edgar launced an impressive
counter-attack on the long downhill run towards the line but he too had little
joy. With one mile remaining Reus tried once more, seeking to take his third
stage win of the race, but the yellow jersey was dramatically overhauled inside
the final 200 metres by the speeding South African Juan Van Heerden. Five
lengths clear at the line, the jubulant first year junior was delighted to get
the win, particularly as he missed out due to a near crash two days ago.
'I am really happy to get this win', he said. 'I
was clear with 100 metres to go in Carrick on Suir (on Friday) but a car got in
my way on the last corner. I glanced off the side of it and while I didn't fall,
I lost all my momentum and the other riders in the break got by me.'
'My speciality probably is in the hills but I
decided to have a go today with one kilometre remaining as I was trying to make
up the two seconds gap on the first-year junior leader. Kai Reus went as we were
approaching the line, but I was able to get across and by him and got the stage.
Today was very fast and there was a lot of attacks but my team did a lot of work
to keep it together. I had good legs and got the stage win.'
'I really enjoyed the race, even if it was
different than I expected. We came thinking it would be easier, but the standard
and the course made it quite hard. It was very good, though - very well
organised, and with a good route.'
Reus was similarly pleased. The promising
second-year junior took two stages, the points jersey and the overall victory.
He is currently second in the world junior rankings and is clearly one to watch
for the future.
'I was aiming to do well today as I was trying to
get more points for the green jersey competition', he said. 'I have really
enjoyed the Junior Tour...it was a bit strange at first as there was a very
different racing pattern than what I am used to. But as the week went on I got
used to the style of racing and was able to relax a bit.'
'I would like to come back and race in Ireland
again in the future. It has been a great experience, and I would like to thank
the organisers for their kindness and for putting on a great event.'
M. Donnelly Junior Tour stage 6, Waterford
(sponsored by Martin Donnelly): 1, Juan Van Heerden (South African
Cycling Academy B); 2, B. Crawforth (London Team); 3, K. Reus (Tempo BMV
Veldhoven B);4, M. Cavandish (Dataphonics); 5, C. Crawley (Stamullen M.
Donnelly); 6, R. Maes (Killarney CC); 7, B.Woods (Ireland Stena Line); 8, Jesse
Anthony (USA); 9, G. Conte (VC D'Annemasse A); 10, N. Cooper (Reading) all same
time
Team: 1, Stamullen M. Donnelly 5 hours 44 mins 24
secs; 2, VC D'Annemasse A; 3, Dataphonics, both same time
Final overall: 1, Kai Reus (Tempo BMV
Veldhoven); 2, J. Anthony (USA) at 2 mins 10 secs; 3, L. Nel (South Africa
Cycling Academy) at 2 mins 11 secs; 4, Viera, at 2 mins 28 secs; 5, Hardwick, at
2 mins 29 secs; 6, B. Woods (Ireland Stena Line) at 2 mins 35 secs; 7, Crawforth,
at 2 mins 36; 8, R. Muscat (Malta); 9, J. Coppel (VC D'Annemasse A); 10, R. Maes
(Kiilarney) all at 2 mins 37 secs
Points: 1, Reus, 72; 2, Crawforth, 63; 3, Anthony,
61 Mountains: 1, Leon Nel (South African Cycling Academy A) 42; 2, G. Conte (VC
D'Annemasse A) 40; 3, M. Mandemakers (Tempo BMV) 32 First year junior: 1,
Crawforth; 2, Mucat; 3, Coppel, both at 1 sec Team: Tempo BMV Veldhoven 35 hours
48 mins 48 secs; 2, Ireland Stena Line, at 1 min 18 secs; 3, VC D'Annemasse, at
1 min 26 secs
Other stages Stage 1
Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Stage
5 Stage 6 Visit the Event Website www.JuniorTour.org
Stage 5
HARDWICK WINS STAGE 5 OF M
DONNELLY JUNIOR TOUR
Ireland Stena Line rider Theo Hardwick took a fine
stage win on today's fifth leg of the M. Donnelly Junior Tour, a sixty mile race
starting and finishing in Clonmel. Hardwick broke clear with USA rider Brad
Viera with six miles remaining and built up a healthy lead over the main bunch,
winning the sprint to the line to take his first ever Junior Tour stage win. The
rest of the field crossed the line some 9 seconds later, including the ongoing
yellow jersey Kai Reus of the Dutch Tempo BMV squad and the rest of the main
contenders.
Hardwick’s Ireland Stena Line team-mate Frazer
Duncan set the tone for what would be an aggressive day of racing when he went
clear with Cycling Ulster’s Peter Hawkins just two miles into the stage.
Arguably hampered by the scorching temperatures in recent days, the Irish riders
were more prominent on this warm but overcast stage and although Duncan and
Hawkins were soon dragged back, Killorglin’s Eoin Concannon raced clear at the
five mile mark and built a fifteen second lead.
After he too was reeled in, Duncan tried again and
had opened up a thirty-second advantage over the bunch by the time the riders
started the climb of the Vee. South African Larens Badenhorst and Kanturk’s
Christy Higgins rode well to bridge the gap, but the effort proved to be for
nothing as the field came back up to them shortly afterwards. Hardwick then
seized the moment to launch his own bid, briefly going clear in a small group.
Hauled back, he tried again going over the top of
the climb and once more on the descent, succeeding in getting a gap with Viera.
However the bunch once again bridged the gap and while eight riders did go
clear, neither the yellow jersey nor Hardwick, Woods, Duncan or their Ireland
Stena Line team-mate Mark Cassidy were present.
With panic bells ringing behind, the octet set
about building their lead. Present were Viera, Bruce Edgar (Dataphonics), Pete
Williams (North West Division), Maarten Mandemakers (Tempo BMV) and four Irish
riders, namely Hawkins, Mark Nestor (Stamullen M. Donnelly), Eoin Concannon
(Killorglin) and McNally Swords’ Derek Bourke.
By the halfway point this group had a 50 second
lead and things were looking serious for the bunch. However much of the chasing
had been done by a small collection of riders and once bigger numbers started
amassing at the front, the break began to come back. Viera, Mandemakers and
Williams jumped clear just before the junction was made and re-established a
considerable lead, but with ten miles remaining the field reformed as one.
That set things up for a fine attack by Hardwick,
who had suffered in the heat on day two but was getting stronger as the race
progressed. He jumped clear with a dogged, determined Viera and had built a
forty second lead with three miles remaining, ensuring that the stage honours
would go to one of them. The Irishman then proved faster in the final sprint,
pipping Viera to the line, with the main field being led home nine seconds later
by the first year junior leader Crawforth, who was impressively strong today.
Reus was fifth on the stage while Killarney's
Richard Maes and Ireland Stena Line rider Barry Woods were sixth and seventh.
Woods’ unlucky team-mate Frazer Duncan trailed in over 21 minutes down, once
again the victim of a crash.
In terms of the overall standings, Dutchman Kai
Reus continues to lead overall, with Viera and Hardwick the only two to move up
the general classification today. Hardwick is now the best placed Irishman in
fifth, two minutes and 29 seconds in arrears, while his team-mate Woods is sixth
and Maes now tenth.
‘I felt good today,’ said the delighted stage
winner. ‘I was a little disappointed with my overall position and so decided
to have a go. The plan was to go in the last ten kilometres and try to get some
time; when I heard we had 30 seconds as we approached the finish, I knew we were
safe. The other rider (Brad Viera) was going well today but I had great legs, so
I was pretty confident.’
‘I am feeling better as the race goes on. I think
tomorrow’s stage won’t make a huge difference, though, and Reus has the win
pretty much sewn up. I lost a lot of time on the first stage – the team car
couldn’t get up to us to give me a bottle and I was very dehydrated, but since
then I have been improving.’
‘I am very happy with this stage win, it is my
first in the Junior Tour. After this I am hoping to get selected for the junior
world championships, and also am aiming to do well in the nationals at the end
of August.’
Another who surely has the world championships in
Hamilton, Canada, in mind is Reus. Second in the world ranking for juniors, he
has been riding impressively well this week and is now all but certain to win
the M. Donnelly Junior Tour when it concludes tomorrow with a 50 mile race in
Waterford. Today he seemed relaxed, confident and laid-back. Tomorrow, he may
well try to take his third stage win and finish off the race in style.
M. Donnelly Junior Tour stage 5, Clonmel -
Clonmel: 1, Theo Hardwick (Ireland-Stena Line) 60 miles in 2 hours 19
mins 5 secs; 2, B. Viera (Hot Tubes USA) same time; 3, B. Crawforth (London
Team) at 9 secs; 4, J. Van Heerden (South Africa B); 5, K. Reus (Tempo BMV
Veldhoven B); 6, R. Maes (Killarney); 7, B. Woods (Team Ireland); 8, J. Anthony
(Hot Tubes USA); 9, B. Edgar (Dataphonics); 10, Z. Taylor (Hot Tubes USA) all
same time
Prime: Eoin Concannon (Killorglin Credit Union)
King of the mountains: The Vee, cat 1: 1, Nell, 12;
2, M. Mandemakers (Tempo BMV) 10; 3, G. Conte (VC D’Annemasse) 8
Team: 1, USA Hot Tubes; 2, Ireland-Stena Line; 3,
Dataphonics
Overall: 1, Kai Reus (Tempo BMV
Veldhoven) 9 hours 59 mins 19 secs; 2, J. Anthony (USA) at 2 mins 10 secs; 3, L.
Nel (South Africa Cycling Academy) at 2 mins 11 secs; 4, Viera, at 2 mins 28
secs; 5, Hardwick, at 2 mins 29 secs; 6, B. Woods (Ireland Stena Line) at 2 mins
35 secs; 7, Crawforth, at 2 mins 36; 8, R. Muscat (Malta) at 2 mins 37 secs; 9,
J. Coppel (VC D’Annemasse A); 10, R. Maes (Killarney CC) both same time
Points: 1, Reus, 59; 2, Anthony, 53; 3, Crawforth,
49 Mountains: 1, Nel, 42; 2, Conte, 40; 3, Mandemakers, 32 First year junior:
Crawforth; 2, Muscat; 3, Coppel, both at 1 sec
Team: 1, Tempo BMV; 2, Ireland-Stena Line; 3, VC D’Annemasse
A
Other stages Stage 1
Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Stage
5 Stage 6 Visit the Event Website www.JuniorTour.org
Stage 4
ANTHONY WINS, REUS STAYS
IN YELLOW
US rider Jesse Anthony sprinted to a fine win on
today's fourth stage of the M. Donnelly Junior Tour, edging out Frenchman
Olivier Costechareyre and Team Ireland-Stena Line rider Barry Woods at the end
of the 54 mile stage.
The race was based on a tough hilly circuit around
Carrick On Suir and offered the first real chance to reshuffle the general
classification, but although a group of 22 riders got clear on the final lap,
there was little change in the overall standings. Dutch rider Kai Reus continues
to lead overall, two minutes and ten seconds ahead of Anthony and one further
second in advance of South African Leon Nel. Mark Cavandish of the Dataphonics
team did however drop away, resulting in Ireland-Stena Line’s Barry Woods
moving back up into fourth. Fellow Irishmen Richard Maes (Killarney CC) and Paul
McMahon (Bray Wheelers) also move up, breaking into the top ten overall.
The stage began with the now-customary early attack
by Usher IRC’s James Lawless, who burst from the pack with Frenchman Gwenael
Conte within the first mile. Lawless fell away after two miles but Conte climbed
strongly up the stage’s first category climb, a heavily-wooded 3 mile
gradient, and crested the summit one minute clear. He was however hauled back by
the end of that lap, paving the way for an attack by Maarte Mandemakers and Brad
Viera, who pooled their strength in a Dutch-American alliance and opened up a
near-two minute lead.
 Swords rider Paul Brady shot clear of the main
bunch on the fast descent towards Carrick and, riding impressively, got to
within twenty seconds of the leading duo. His charge was cut short by the cruel
slopes of the first category climb, which saw him drop back again and be mopped
up by the main bunch. Race leader Reus and second-placed Anthony both had riders
from their team in the break, but their own tussle saw them set a rapid pace up
the climb and force a 22 rider split, spelling the end of the general
classification ambitions for many riders and, indirectly, the chances of
Mandemakes and Viera up front. The two doggedly raced towards the line in
Carrick On Suir but were absorbed with just one kilometre remaining, paving the
way for the big group finish.
South Africa’s Juan Van Heerden was first into
the final corner, and with the line just 100 metres after that, his advantage
looked sufficient to take the stage. However he overshot the bend and glanced
off a car, enabling Anthony, Costechareyre, Woods and the rest of the riders to
get by him and fight it out for the honours. Mark Nestor of the Stamullen M.
Donnelly team was a fine eighth, while Maes, McMahon, Mark Cassidy, Theo Harwick
(both Ireland Stena Line) and Peter Hawkins (Cycling Ulster) were the five other
Irish riders in that 22 rider move which finished over a minute clear of the
bunch.
‘I am really glad to win a stage here in the
Junior Tour,’ said Anthony. ‘I am second overall too, so it has been good
for me. I took it easy for the first two laps, as no real dangerous riders went
clear, but then went for it a bit on the last lap. I didn’t want to do too
much as I had a team-mate up the road, but at the same time I wanted to try to
get time on some of the other riders in the general classification.’
One of those he would have liked to have distanced
was Reus, but the Dutchman showed little sign of weakness. He remains two
minutes and ten seconds clear of Anthony, and with just two stages left, is
increasingly likely to run out as the winner of the six-day contest. The M.
Donnelly Junior Tour continues tomorrow with a 55 mile race, which both starts
and finishes in Clonmel. The prestigious international contest finishes on
Sunday in Waterford.
M. Donnelly Junior Tour stage 4, Carrick On
Suir: 1, Jesse Anthony (USA) 56 miles in 2 hours 19 mins 6 secs; 2, O.
Costechareyre (VC D'Annemasse A); 3, B. Woods (Ireland Stena Line); 4, F.
Blanchard (VC D'Annemasse A); 5, L. Nel (South African Cycling Academy A); 6, R.
Bonser (North West Division); 7, Q. Ferreira (South African Cycling Academy A);
8, M. Nestor (Stamullen M. Donnelly) all same time
Primes: KOM Cat 1, lap 1: 1, Gwenael Conte (VC D’Annemasse
A) 12 points; 2, P. McMahon (Bray Wheelers) 10; 3, J. Van Heerden (South African
Cycling Academy B) 8. KOM cat 3, lap 1: 1, Conte, 5; 2, Nel, 3; 3, Anthony, 1.
KOM cat 1, lap 2: 1, Peter Hawkins (Cycling Ulster) 12 points; 2, Ferreira, 10;
3, Anthony, 8. KOM cat 3, lap 2: Maarte Mandemakers (Tempo BMV Veldhoven A), 5;
2, B. Viera (USA), 3; 3, Nel, 1. KOM cat 1, lap 3: 1, Mandemakers, 12; 2, Viera,
10; 3, Costechareyre, 8. KOM cat 3, lap 3: 1, Mandemakers, 5; 2, Viera, 3; 3,
Nel, 1
Team: 1, VC D’Annemasse A; 2, Stena Team Ireland;
3, Tempo BMV Veldhoven A
Overall: 1, Reus; 2, J. Anthony (USA)
at 2 mins 10 secs; 3, L. Nel (South Africa Cycling Academy) at 2 mins 11 secs;
4, B. Woods (Ireland) at 2 mins 35 secs; 5, B. Crawforth (London Team) at 2 mins
36 secs; 6, R. Muscat (Malta) 2 mins 37 secs; 7, J. Coppel (VC D'Annemasse A);
8, R. Maes (Killarney CC); 9, P. McMahon (Bray Wheelers); 10, B. Viera (USA) all
same time
Points: 1, Reus, 48; 2, Anthony, 45; 3, M.
Cavandish (Dataphonics) 38
Mountains: 1, Gwenael Conte (VC D’Annemasse A)
32; 2, Nel, 30; 2, Q. Ferreira (South African Cycling Academy), 23
First year junior: 1, Ben Crawforth (London Team) 7
hours 42 mins 41 secs; 2, Muscat, at 1 sec; 3, Coppel, same time
Teams: 1, Tempo BMV; 2, VC D’Annemasse A; 3,
Stena Team Ireland
Other stages Stage 1
Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Stage
5 Stage 6 Visit the Event Website www.JuniorTour.org
Stage 3
REUS TAKES HIS SECOND
STAGE
 Twenty
four hours after he won the second stage of the M. Donnelly Junior Tour, Dutch
rider Kai Reus posted the best possible defence of his race leader's jersey when
he once again rode to victory with a storming solo display.
With six of the 65 miles remaining, the Tempo BMV
cyclist attacked from the main bunch with South African Leon Nel, who had placed
second behind Reus yesterday in Waterford. The speeding duo closed up to the
lone leader Daniel Martin on the road from New Ross to the finish and once
Martin was reeled in, Reus kicked for home.
The flying Dutchman quickly gained time on the drag
to the finish in Slieve Rua and reached the line 34 seconds clear of the main
field, who mopped up the two other riders in the final run-in. Second one the
stage was Mark Cavandish of the English Dataphonics team, while McNally Swords
rider Paul Brady and Killarney’s Richard Maes was best of the Irish in sixth
and eighth respectively.
The day had started on a bad note for Reus’ Tempo
BMV team when Frits Pellemans crashed on a corner and broke his leg. Down one
rider, the danger for the Dutchmen was that they would be unable to contains the
attacks of their opponents and by the halfway point, it appeared that Reus’
yellow jersey was in danger. English rider Ryan Bonner (North West Division) had
broken away at the 19 mile mark and twelve miles later, his lead over Reus was
more than one minute, and growing.
A group of ten chasers finally succeeded in getting
across to Bonner, amongst them Irishmen Eoin Concannon (Killorglin Credit Union)
and Michael Mulvenna of the Cycling Ulster team. But further back, the second
category climb after Graiguenamanagh acted as a springboard for Reus, who set
off in another small chase group with Barry Woods and Theo Hardwick of the
Ireland Stena Line team. These closed the gap by the 52 mile point but all the
hard effort came to nothing when the rest of the field regrouped shortly
afterwards.
Just before this junction was made, English rider
Daniel Martin (Team South West RICCI) attacked and went clear, opening up a lead
of over one minute and speeding through the streets of New Ross. Martin is a
cousin (by marriage) of last year’s race winner Nicolas Roche and for a while
it looked certain that the third stage of the M. Donnelly Junior Tour would once
again go to the family. However, while Martin was riding strongly, a strong
headwind on the wide-open dual carriageways from New Ross made his task a very
difficult one and with four miles remaining he was caught by the race leader
Reus and South African Leon Nel.
That set the scene for Reus’ second consecutive
stage victory and, more importantly, saw his overall lead jump to two minutes
and ten seconds over the USA cyclist Jesse Anthony. With three stages left to
go, he is starting to look like the most dominant rider since Ireland's Mark
Scanlon in 1998. Scanlon won that year and at this early stage, few are betting
against the Dutchman to do the same.
‘He is very, very strong’, said the Ireland
Stena Line manager Tom Keenan after the finish. ‘He is second in the world
junior rankings and, really, seems strong enough to do what he wants in the
race. I think the overall classification is buried – at this point, we are now
looking to get a stage win and to try to stay high up in the general
classification. I think that Reus is going to win the race.’
For his part, the young Dutchman is very confident.
The former speedskater has been cycling for just two years but has won the
prestigious Two Days of Heuvelland and Two Days of Zeeuwsvlaanderen this season,
both world-ranked races. He intends going all the way in the M. Donnelly Junior
Tour. ‘I feel strong and didn’t really worry today, even when there were
riders up the road. I had my own plan for the stage and stuck to it. I went
clear with a South African rider and then with three miles to go I attacked by
myself, to win the stage. I am pretty confident for the overall prize…the
South Africans are strong, particularly as there are so many of them, but we
have a good team. I am very happy.’
* The M. Donnelly Junior Tour continues tomorrow
with a tough 54 mile stage based in Carrick on Suir. The prestigious
international event ends in Waterford this Sunday.
M. Donnelly Junior Tour, stage 3 (Waterford -
Thomastown - New Ross - Slieve Rua): 1, Kai Reus (Tempo BMV Veldhoven)
65 miles in 2 hours 42 mins 54 secs; 2, M. Cavandish (Dataphonics) at 34 secs;
3, J. Van Heerden (South Africa Cycling Academy B); 4, F. Blanchard (VC
D'Annemasse A) at 36 secs; 5, B. Viera (USA); 6, P. Brady (McNally Swords); 7,
B. Crawforth (London); 8, R. Maes (Killarney CC); 9, J. Anthony (USA); 10, R.
Bonser (North West Division) all same time
Primes: KOM Cat 3 at 13.2 miles: 1, R. Muscat
(Malta) 5 points; 2, Q. Ferreira (South African Cycling Academy), 3; 3, J.
Ponten (Tempo BMV), 1
KOM Cat 3 at 16.1 miles: 1, O. Constechareyre (VC D’Annemasse)
5; 2, J. Coppel (VC D’Annemasse) 3; 3, Reus, 1
KOM Cat 2 at 36.8 miles: 1, G. Conte (VC D’Annemasse)
9 points; 2, Ferreira, 7; 3, J. Van Heerden (South African Cycling Academy B), 5
Teams: Tempo BMV Veldhoven; 2, USA; 3, VC D’Annemasse
A
Overall: 1, Reus, 5 hours 20 mins 59 secs; 2, J.
Anthony (USA) at 2 mins 10 secs; 3, L. Nel (South Africa Cycling Academy) at 2
mins 11 secs; 4, Cavandish, at 2 mins 33 secs; 5, B. Woods (Ireland) at 2 mins
35 secs; 6, G. Conte (VC D’Annemasse A) at 2 mins 36 secs; 7, Crawforth, same
time; 8, Muscat, at 2 mins 37 secs; 9, J. Coppel (VC D’Annemasse A); 10, Maes,
both same time.
Points: 1, Reus, 42; 2, Cavandish, 38; 3, Anthony,
30
Mountains: 1, Nel, 15; 2, Q. Ferreira (South
African Cycling Academy), 13; 3, Conte, 9
First year junior: 1, Gwenael Conte (VC D’Annemasse
A) 5 hours 23 mins 35 secs; 2, Crawforth, same time; 3, Muscat, at 1 sec
Teams: 1, Tempo BMV; 2, USA; 3, South African
Cycling Academy A
Other stages Stage 1
Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Stage
5 Stage 6 Visit the Event Website www.JuniorTour.org
Stage 2
DUTCHMAN TAKES STAGE AND
YELLOW JERSEY
 Dutch
rider Kai Reus today seized the yellow jersey of race leadership from the stage
one winner Barry Woods of the Stena Ireland team, with a dominant display on day
two of the M. Donnelly Junior Tour.
The Tempo BMV rider stormed clear of two breakaway
companions inside the last ten miles of the 60 mile stage to cross the finish
line in Waterford one minute and 34 seconds clear. South Africa’s Leon Nel and
the US rider Jesse Anthony took second and third, with the main bunch containing
Woods and the rest of the overall contenders a further 25 seconds back.
Reus’ triumph was made all the more notable by
the fact that he had crashed while clear with Nel, tumbling off on a twisting
descent just before the race reached Annestown, approximately 20 miles from the
finish. He quickly remounted and joined forces with Anthony, who had been
dropped two miles earlier, to overcome a one minute deficit and set the stage
for his winning attack.
The early action began with an attack by Dubliner
James Lawless, who set off after just two miles in an attempt to win the first
King of the Hills prime. The Usher IRC rider built a lead of 15 seconds but was
recaptured soon afterwards, paving the way for Nel to take the first prime. He
then went on to win the remaining four hill climb sprints during the stage,
taking a stranglehold on the mountains classification.
South African Juan Van Heerden was next to make a
significant attack, going clear from the bunch after ten miles and building a
forty second lead. However he too was reeled in some 18 miles later, being
scooped up by the bunch as the race headed into Dungarvan. Fenchman Olivier
Costechareyre tried his hand shortly afterwards, but was quickly joined by Reus
and then left behind. Nel and Anthony succeeded in bridging across, forming a
three man alliance which netted them the top placings on the stage and lifted
them clear of the rest of the field in the general classification.
Cycling Ulster rider David Watson was best of the
Irish today in 9th place, while Woods finished in the same time as the main
bunch and drops to 4th overall. The Irish team had been confident of defending
the lead on the stage from Waterford to Dungarvan and back, but Frazer Duncan’s
crash early in the stage robbed them of one of their strongmen and made the task
of holding off the foreign charge even more difficult.
‘It was one of those days’, said the frustrated
team manager Tom Keenan. ‘Frazer crashed and then once the three riders got
clear, the field stopped racing. They only picked up the pace again at the end,
by which time it was too late.’
As expected, Reus was delighted with his own race.
‘I am very happy’, he said. ‘I crashed on a descent but was able to get
back on the bike and close the gap to the leader. I made my move with about ten
kilometres remaining and opened up a big advantage.’
Stifled by the heat, the Irish quartet will hope to
bounce back on tomorrow’s 64 mile stage, which again starts and finishes in
Waterford. Yet the strength shown today by the Dutch and South African teams
suggests that a real fight is in store before the race ends on Sunday.
 M.
DONNELLY JUNIOR TOUR, stage 2 (Waterford-Dungarvan-Waterford): 1, Kai
Reus (Tempo BMV Veldhoven A) 60 miles in 2 hours 37 mins 4 secs; 2, L. Nel
(South African Cycling Academy A) at 1 min 34 secs; 3, J. Anthony (USA) same
time; 4, J. Van Heerden (South Africa) at 1 min 59 secs; 5, Z. Taylor (USA); 6,
M. Cavandish (Dataphonics); 7, B. Crawforth (London Team); 8, B. Viera (USA) all
same time
Primes: KOM Cat 3, Bunmahon; 1, Leon Nel (South
Africa A); 2, Q. Ferreira (South Africa A); 3, J. Van Heerden (South Africa B).
Cat 3 at 41.6 miles: 1, Nel; 2, G. Conte Conte (VC D’Annemasse A); 3, Anthony.
KOM Cat 4 at 44 miles: 1, Nel; 2, Reus. KOM Cat 4 at 47 miles: 1, Nel; 2, Reus.
KOM Cat 5 at 50 miles: 1, Nel; 2, Reus
Team: 1, Tempo BMV Veldhoven; 2, USA; 3, South
Africa Cycling Academy A
Overall standings: 1, Reus, 2 hours 38 mins 5 secs;
2, Anthony, at 1 min 34 secs; 3, Nel, at 1 min 35 secs; 4, B. Woods (Ireland
Stena Line) at 1 min 59 secs; 5, Cavandish, same time; 6, G. Conte (VC D’Annemasse
A) at 2 mins; 7, Crawforth; 8, B. Edgar (Dataphonics) both same time
Points: 1, Reus, 27; 2, Cavandish, 24; 3, Anthony,
23
Mountains: 1, Nel, 16; 2, Reus, 3; 3, Conte, 3
First year junior: 1, Conte, 2 hours 40 mins 5 secs;
2, Crawforth, same time; 3, R. Muscat (Malta) at 1 sec
Team: 1, Tempo BMV Veldhoven A, 7 hours 58 mins 19
secs; 2, USA, at 1 min 33; 3, South Africa Cycling Academy A, at 1 min 34
Stage 1
 WOODS
TAKES FIRST YELLOW JERSEY
The Ireland Stena Line team started off the M.
Donnelly Junior Tour this evening in fine style with a strong performance from
Kerry rider Barry Woods in the stage one time trial. Woods paced himself
perfectly in the short, hilly effort, starting steadily on the flat section
along the Wateford city quays but then picking up the pace on the tough climb to
the line. He completed the flat-out test in a time fractionally over one minute,
which was good enough to overtake the Team Dataphonics rider Mark Cavandish by
two hundreths of a second and so take the first yellow jersey of the six day
race.
Third place went to the Frenchman Gwenael Conte,
who was just over a second further back from the leading duo.
Killorglin cyclist Woods will hold the yellow
jersey going into tomorrow's sixty mile second stage, which sees the riders
cover an undulating course from Waterford to Dungarvan and back. Although it is
early days in this hard-fought international race, the Ireland Stena Line team
intend to defend the race lead. 'There are a lot of good teams in the race but
we have a strong squad,' said manager Tom Keenan. 'The stages are quite short
and so we will go out there to defend the jersey.'
Woods is motivated to hold onto the race lead,
coming into the event with good form. 'I spent the past three weeks racing in
Belgium and am going pretty well', he said. 'It was ideal preparation for the
Junior Tour. To tell you the truth, I was aiming for a top ten place on the
stage, as I had no idea what the foreign riders were like. To go out and take
yellow is fantastic and I am very happy.'
 M.Donnelly
Junior Tour stage one, Waterford. 1, Barry Woods (Ireland Stena Line) 1
minute 0.12 seconds; 2, M. Cavandish (Team Dataphonics) 1 min 0.14 secs; 3, G.
Conte (Velo Club D'Annemasse A) 1 min 1.46 secs; 4, A. Reus (Tempo BMV Veldhoven
B); 5, B. Crawforth (London Team)
First year junior: Conte
Other stages Stage 1
Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Stage
5 Stage 6
Visit the Event
Website www.JuniorTour.org
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