The two riders were the strongest of a 14 man breakaway group which began about 32 kilometres into the eight lap, 106.4 kilometre event. They were involved in several attacks which served to soften up the group, then pulled well ahead after administering the coup de grâce.
“This is the first time I’ve done the championships,” said a satisfied Peelo after receiving his gold medal. “It is nice to get the jersey – there was a bit of pressure on. I’ve actually been feeling fairly good since the Rás this year. I put pressure on myself, really, saying it is about time as I got a win.”
Both he and Swinand have been racing as A1 riders and were, on paper, the ones to beat. He admitted that there was a bit of expectation, and that they used this to further motivate themselves.
“Looking at the racing that is being done and the ranking and things, we were sort of the ones who stuck out. We said that we had better put a good show on and show that we are worth what we are ranked at.”
Swinand left it to the gallop, but implied afterwards that it would have been hard to have beaten Peelo. “I was happy enough that it came down to a sprint,” he said. “We are both best mates, we were not going to jump each other. But it wouldn’t have mattered, I don’t think it would have changed anything.”
He said that they are quite evenly matched, but that Peelo had edged it in their recent races. “This is about the fifth time there are no places between us. Last week in the Paddy Flanagan, Dave was second in the road race and I was third. He was seventh in the time trial and I was eight, and overall he was second and I was fourth. So there are very rarely too many people between us.
“I felt very good today…Dave and Rory [Wyley] were going very well. I think we knew that they were the top guys. Rory was making a few big digs and we were getting on him. He would sit up and everybody would jump on him. Dave and I were making a few sneak attacks to counter those. We were sort of shadowboxing a little bit. Once it got to a lap and a half to go, they gave us a little too much room and we put the hammer down. Dave and I are training partners and between us there is probably about 50 years of racing, so the exchanges couldn’t have been smoother.”
Peelo also talked about the fact that they train together a lot. He said that normally he would come out on top in sprints ‘60 to 70 percent of the time,’ and so he was content to leave it to a gallop.
Team-mate Colm Bracken won the sprint for third and this, together with the twelfth place achieved by Mark Kiernan, ensured that the squad won the team prize. He was satisfied with how the day worked out.
“I am pretty happy. I don’t think I was going fantastic today, I think Dave was going a little bit better,” he said. “So I was nearly urging him to get up a road and try to seal a medal, and I would try to win the sprint. That is the way it worked out, actually, so I was very happy with that. We got the team prize, so I can’t complain.”
He said that a lot of riders were watching last year’s champion, Cycling Ireland’s president Rory Wyley. As a result, he was not able to get much space. He felt that there was another rider who also was a big threat. “There was a guy there called John Madden who I think was stronger than Rory, but he doesn’t seem to do the proper racing,” he said. “He is a time trialist. I went after him one time and it was very hard to catch him. If he had been up there with Dave and Greg, I think he could have spoiled the finale for them. But I think it all worked out pretty well for us.”
Pictures courtesy of Martin McNally
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
David Peelo winning ahead of Greg Swinand
|
|
How it happened:
A good turnout of 80 riders signed on for the veteran’s championship, and would do battle over eight laps of a rolling 106.4 kilometre course. The first attacks of the day came from riders such as Ger Madden (Team Sports Med) and Anto Moran (Ravens), but a more serious move then came when Mark Kiernan (Kilcullen CC) jetted clear. He was chased by Davy Gardiner (Bike Pure) and Peter McConville (Newry Wheelers), who in turn were being pursued by Seamus Kelly (Usher IRC).
McConville dropped back, then Kelly and Gardiner joined up with Kiernan before the end of the first lap. Kelly went back several kilometres later, then the bunch got back in touch 20 kilometres into the race.
A flurry of attacks followed, but nothing stuck until Sean Bracken jumped clear 32 kilometres after the start. He was joined by Patrick Callaly (Swords), and then by Sean McIlroy (Carrick Wheelers) and John Madden (Curran Racing).
Five others then came across, namely Davy Gardiner (Bike Pure), Gerry McCabe (Cuchulainn), Stephen Baines (East Antrim CC), Paul Mulligan (Eurocycles/Eurobaby) and Jan Gieglis (Henry J Lyons), and held an 39 second lead over the peloton.
Realising the danger, five others set off in pursuit of the nine up front. Last year’s winner Rory Wyley (Carrick Wheelers) was there, as was Dave Peelo and Colm Bracken (Kilcullen), Greg Swinand (Usher IRC) and Conchubar O’Crualaoich (Wexford Wheelers). These were 24 seconds back at the end of lap four and well ahead of the bunch, which was already a minute behind.
The junction was made shortly afterwards, and the fourteen man group set about extending its lead. After 72 kilometres of racing the group was one minute 47 seconds clear, and it was more and more obvious that the winner would come from those up front.
The pressure started to go on towards the end of the third-last lap, and McIlroy and Callaly were dropped on the drags towards the line. Swinand was one of those who was most aggressive, as was Peelo. Shortly after the start of lap seven Gardiner attacked and after he was brought back, Peelo and Swinand pushed clear and began opening up a solid lead.
The chase group started to break up under the pressure and Madden, the two Brackens, Gardiner, McCabe, Wyley and O’Crualaoich left the others behind. However it was going to require a very concerted effort to get back in touch as the group was 40 seconds behind at the bell.
The two Brackens had team-mates up the road and did what they could to discourage the chase. This, a lack of sustained commitment from the others in the second group and the solid riding by Peelo and Swinand saw the leaders maintain their lead and ensure that they would indeed fight it out for the jersey.
The duo worked well until about two kilometres to go. Swinand stopped coming through then, sitting on Peelo until the line was in sight. He kicked hard then and drew slightly ahead, but Peelo was too strong and was able to catch, pass and distance him, taking the title. Fifty seconds later, Colm Bracken beat his brother in the sprint for the bronze medal, with Wyley, O’Crualaoich, Madden and Gardiner completing the top eight.
The national cycling championship continues tomorrow with the road race for Elite men. Defending champion Nicolas Roche (Ag2r La Mondiale) and his first cousin Daniel Martin (Garmin Transistions) are the only ProTour riders and will start as joint favourites. The junior road race will also be held on a different circuit, passing through Sligo town.
----
Irish road race championships, Collooney, Co. Sligo:
Veterans (eight laps):
1, Dave Peelo (Kilcullen)
2, Greg Swinand (Usher IRC)
3, Colm Bracken (Kilcullen)
4, Sean Bracken (Usher IRC)
5, Rory Wyley (Dan Morrissey)
6, Conchubur O’Crualaoich (Wexford)
7, John Madden (Curran Racing)
8, David Gardiner (Bike Pure)
9, Gerry McCabe (Cuchulainn)
10, Stephen Baines (East Antrim)
11, Martin O’Loughlin (Carrick Wheelers)
12, Mark Kiernan (Kilcullen)
13, Sam Craig (Curran Racing)
14, Philip Finegan (Dunboyne)
15, Andre Engemann (St. Tiernan’s)
16, Frank Duane (Slaney)
Team: Kilcullen