While many of the leading contenders in the Shay Elliott trophy race were left struggling yesterday, Mick O'Donnell, of the promoters team, Bray-Coors, emerged to the fore and at the end of the tough course of 78 miles at Bray he was clear by 23 seconds.
O'Donnell's win also puts him at the top of the Classic League. There were constant attacks off the front for the first 40 miles, with O'Donnell among those most active. But it was the Drumgoff climb to the Elliott memorial with just over 50 miles covered that proved decisive, as usual.
Tommy Evans led over the top. With Evans were O'Donnell, Eddie O'Donoghue, Paul Griffin, Mark Kiernan, Neil Teggart, Paddy Moriarty, Kieran MacMahon and Michael Smyth. A chasing group of Conor Henry, Ciaran Power, Philip Cassidy, Ian Chivers, Willie Byrne and one of the juniors, David Kenneally, looked like joining the leaders at Laragh, but after Chivers pulled out they were caught by another group and those at the front pulled away.
After Roundwood, O'Donnell went on with Griffin and Smyth, but at Calary, with only five miles to the finish, O'Donnell left his companions. Griffin and Smyth were rejoined by the other leaders, but O'Donnell pressed on for his biggest win.
In the league, he now has 20 points to 19 for MacMahon with Griffin and Evans next on 16.
