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Post date: Aug 20, 2012 11:13:28 PM
(By Billy Cunnane)
Peter Rimmer is elevated to the A1 Category after a great performance in Marrey Bikes Ballinrobe 2 Day!
On Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th August Lakeside Wheelers had a team of 8 competing in the Ballinrobe 2 Day. We were represented in A1/A2 by Peter Rimmer, In A3 by Billy Cunnane, Eoin Lynch, Ken Berry, Paul Crowley, Robbie Kenny, and Ronan Bracken and in A4 by Charlie Sheridan. All riders acquitted themselves very well over the weekend helping to chase down breaks at key moments to maintain Peters placing in G.C. This event is one of Irelands only handicapped stage races, allowing every participant a fair chance of success. This stage race has all the frills with jerseys, yellow (overall), green (sprints) and polkadot (mountains) plus 4 perpetual trophies and cups for stage and overall winners.
STAGE 1: A hilly 80km route awaited all the riders on Saturday with 5 major climbs. With a start time of 3pm the A'3 were first off with a 3 minute advantage on the chasing A1/A2 group. At Tourmkeady with just 20km covered the groups were back together just in time for the first category 3 climb of the day at Maire Lakes. The bunch stayed together on the narrow twisting roads and at 31km another category 3 climb had to be tackled. It was only at Maam Trasna at 40km a category 2 climb that Stronger A1/A2 riders showed their strength with a break successfully getting away. There were still climbs at Ail Duil a category 2 and Mameen a category 3 to be completed but the chasing bunch could not close the gap to the leaders. Colm Cassidy UCD jumped with 3km to go to get the win. In the sprint for second Junior Liam Corcoran Castlebar CC showed he has held his junior tour form out-sprinting a group of 8 with Michael Fermoy Third. Peter Rimmer finished 8th in the sprint just 20 seconds off the Leader Cassidy. Billy Cunnane, Robbie Kenny and Paul Crowley finished in the chasing bunch.
STAGE 2A: An early start on Sunday morning was the order of the day with an individual 8km Time Trial from Kilmaine to Ballinrobe. With a strong tailwind the times were going to be fast and Colm Cassidy’s course record could be under threat. Anthony Walsh took the victory 2 seconds ahead of Cassidy who took second. Peter Rimmer posted a very creditable time which left him in 6th place on G.C going into the last stage.
STAGE 3: An undulating 20km lap to be completed 4 times was on the cards for the final stage. The A'3 were once more set off with a 3 minute advantage over the A1/A2's. With one lap completed the A'3 managed to keep the gap at 3 mins. But to their credit the bunch all worked superbly well together in closing down the gap and by the start of the final lap it was all back together.
With just 20 kilometers to go from that point it paved the way for some furious attacking, eventually, with 17 kilometers to go, the elastic snapped and a three-man group broke away off the front and though none of them had any chance of winning the overall, the peloton weren’t keen to allow them push their luck and never gave them more than 25 seconds. They ran out of steam with three kilometers to go when the gap was cut to less than 10 seconds.
ALL the Wheelers finished comfortably in the bunch which in turn helped Peter secure 5th Overall G.C and the valuable points required for his upgrade to A1.
In the A4 race, Mark Shanahan was quickest to the line after three laps of the 20km course. There were several attacks from the 31-man peloton many of which were instigated by our very own Charlie Sheridan but unfortunately none of them stuck. Well done to Charlie who finished 6th in the now norm A4 bunch sprint finish.
A special word of thanks must also go to the support crew of Mick Reynolds, Damien O'Brien, Imogen Rimmer, Charlie Sheridan and Brendan Grimes for all their help over the weekend and to Eddie Tyrell at Grange Motors for the Supply of the Team car!
Thanks to Billy Cunnane for the excellent report on the weekends action.
Peter Rimmer 5th Overall in the Ballinrobe 2 Day 2012
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