After winning the FBD Milk Ras last year at 37 years of age, Philip Cassidy yesterday illustrated in the Cycleways Cup that time shows no signs of obscuring the natural talent of the double Olympian. Marked as perhaps the biggest pre-race favourite, Cassidy nevertheless shook off the attentions of the bunch on the first of four laps of 17 miles around the Tara Hill circuit and impressively dragged a trio of riders clear.
It was obvious that Cassidy, who won the race twice in the past three years was motivated to do so again, and indeed on each rise of the road he found himself biding his time and waiting for his increasingly pressurised breakaway companions.
Laurence Roche was the first to concede defeat, slipping back towards the end of lap one. Then after a brief respite caused by a puncture to Cassidy's rear wheel, David Peelo succumbed to the pressure and fell behind. On the third ascent of the Swainstown hill, Brian Quinn was himself on the chopping block, losing time quickly as Cassidy rose from the saddle and kicked for the top.
From there, to the finish almost 30 miles away, it was a display of time-trial ability which saw the Navan rider cross the line over four minutes clear of Paul Griffin, with an exhausted Quinn taking third.
A trio of Usher IRC riders followed, with brothers Colm and Sean Bracken fourth and fifth, and Karl Donnelly coming home a further 30 seconds behind in sixth place. Mick Mulcahy of the Dan Morrisey club outsprinted Carrick Cidona's Tony Cullen to win the Senior B race, while Conor Murphy got the better of Tim Ahern for the junior prize.
