Ulster Cycling News
27Jun/110

Bennett and Brammeier lift National Titles

What a race it was when the best of Irish elite men took to the roads around Scotstown on Sunday. The race went from the gun with Belfast's David McCann(Giant Kenda) attacking within seconds of the flag being dropped. Whether or not he was testing the waters is unclear but the pace was set for the rest of the day. McCann's move was quickly followed by Philip Lavery (An Post Sean Kelly Team) and Matt Brammeier (HTC High Road), the defending champion.

Within a few miles Sam Bennett(An Post) and Nicolas Roche (AG2R La Mondiale) joined the break. The pace in the bunch rose yet again as the chase began in earnest.

Dan Martin of Garmin-Cervélo rode hard to chase down the break along with Ronan McLaughlin (An Post Grant Thornton M. Donnelly Sean Kelly), Martyn Irvine (Giant Kenda) and Philip Deignan (RadioShack) but it was almost the half way stage before they managed to close the deficit.

This group worked hard to maintain the gap over the main field. The peloton had not given up however and although the drags began to stretch out the bunch there was a lot of hard chasing going on. Cathal Smyth of Phoenix CC, Stuart Henry (Herbalife), Mark McKinley (SportActive) and Conor McConvey of An Post were all active in driving forward. It was goosd to see McConvey back after his voluntary retirement fo much of the year and he appears to have lost little of his strength.

Peter Hawkins of the Wielerteam Decock-SportivoMorsele outfit was also active and in the closing miles proved he had the strength to edge closer to the leaders. Aaron Buggle (UV Aube) who has just started racing again after injury had kept him out of competition for eight months also rode hard while the man who man never to be discounted, Stephen O'Sullivan of Dectek had a tremendous championship.

Deignan dropped out of the race with two laps to go, still exhausted after his recent achievements on the world stage. In the closing miles of the race. Irvine just lost contact with the break as Martin and Brammeier attacked again. They continued to put the pressure on and coming to the lime it was neck and neck.

No-one could separate them and it was the down to the line judges with photo finish equipment to make the call.

The decision went in favour of Brammeier who was delighted to have retained his National title.

McCann came in a few seconds later to take the bronze medal. Roche followed in a short time later.

Sam Bennett's fifth position overall was good enough to see him take the U23 Champion's jersey with team mate Lavery taking silver.

Aaron Buggle was the third medallist in this competition and he was delighted. As he said, "I think I was the only rider smiling through the rain on Friday night's TT championship. It just felt so good to be back in competition so this is an added bonus." We are delighted for Aaron as he has been a good supporter of many of our time trials in Ulster. Lavery had also rode very hard all day and we want to congratulate him and all the medalists on a superb day's racing.

It was a great day for Ulster riders with six riders in the top 15, five in the top 10. Donegal's Ronan McLaughlin took sixth overall with Martyn Irvine and Peter Hawkins in eighth and ninth positions.

Congratulations also to those riding the championships for the first time. Steven McAllister of Ballymoney started the year as an A4 and has only been racing a short time. He ended up in 46th position while Gary Cranston, Stuart Henry, Conor McAllister Mark McKinley, Cathal Smyth, Fergus Rooney, Paul Brady, Philip Bremner, Peter Williams, Dane Dunlop and Joe Barr were all in there, some of them well up the field.

FOR PICS OF SOME OF THE EVENT CLICK ON THE GALLERY LINK BELOW.

VIEW GALLERY OF NATIONAL ELITE MEN'S ROAD RACE CHAMPIONSHIPS 2011 BY MARIAN LAMB

Report and Pics Marian Lamb

Results National Elite Men's Championship 2011

1 Matt Brammeier HTC Highroad 4'01'30
2 Dan Martin Garmin-Cervélo "
3 David McCann Giant Kenda Pro Cycling 4'01'48
4 Nicolas Roche AG2R 4'01'51
5 Sam Bennett An Post Sean Kelly Team 4'01'58
6 Ronan McLoughlin An Post Sean Kelly Team 4'03'21
7 Philip Lavery An Post Sean Kelly Team "
8 Martyn Irvine Giant Kenda Pro Cycling 4'04'09
9 Peter Hawkins Wielerteam Decock-Sportivo Morsele 4'06'17
10 Mark Cassidy An Post Sean Kelly Team 4'06'19
11 Sean Lacey The Edge Sports Team 4'06'24
12 Colm Cassidy UCD CC "
13 Fiachra O'Muire Team Dectek Dunboye Clonee CC "
14 Keith Gater Waterford CC 4'06'40
15 Connor McConvey XMTB 4'07'15
16 Stephen O'Sullivan Team Dectek Dunboye Clonee CC 4'07'17
17 Ryan Sherlock Team Sportactive Racing "
18 Damien Shaw Lakeside Wheelers Mullingar "
19 Michael O'Reilly The Edge Sports Team "
20 John Dempsey Carrick Wh CC "
21 Aaron Buggle UV Aube "
22 Neill Delahaye Team Dectek Dunboye Clonee CC "
23 Conor Dunne VI Technics-Abutriek 4'08'40
24 Dom Jelfs Asfra RT "
25 Andrew Meehan Team Dectek Dunboye Clonee CC 4'08'48
26 Felix English Science in Sport "
27 Daniel Clifford Team Sportactive Racing "
28 Tim O'Regan Team Dectek Dunboye Clonee CC 4'11'54
29 Anthony Walsh UCD CC 4'12'21
30 Derek Finnegan Liverpool Century CC 4'12'33
31 Gary Cranston East Antrim CC "
32 Frank O'Leary Slaney CC "
33 Stuart Henry Herbalife Wheelbase "
34 Mark McKinley Team Sportactive Racing "
35 Ciaran O'Conluain UCD CC "
36 Niall Brosnan The Edge Sports Team "
37 Craig Sweetman Stamullan M.D. RC "
38 Michael McCarthy Team Dectek Dunboye Clonee CC 4'12'37
39 Cathal Smyth Phoenix CC "
40 Frank O'Connor Stamullan M.D. RC "
41 Michael Duffy Amicale Cycliste Bisontine "
42 John Horgan USM Gagny - France 4'12'45
43 Stephen Clancy Limerick CC 4'13'53
44 Philip Bremner Un-attached Ulster "
45 Anthony Doyle Un-attached Leinster "
46 Steven McAllister Ballymoney "
47 Christopher Greene Un-attached Ulster "
48 Conor McAllister Slane Cycles "
49 Fergus Rooney Phoenix CC 4'13'56
50 Stuart Cox Lakeside Wheelers Mullingar "
51 Paul Brady Manchester Wheelers "
52 Mike Brookfiled UCD CC "
53 Dane Dunlop Lakeland CC "
54 Cathal McCarthy The Edge Sports Team "
55 Richard Hooton Kanturk CUCC "
56 Damien Barry Blarney CC "
57 Keith Fox Shannonside CC "
58 James Davenport South Dublin CC 4'14'00
59 Bryan McCrystal Cuchulainn CC "
60 Peter Williams Orchard Wh 4'14'01
61 Joe Barr Italian Heart Cycle "
Stephen Halpin ASB Parein-Rogelli Cycling Team DNF
Ewen McDonald Asfra RT DNF
Patrick Clarke Asfra RT DNF
Odhran Connors Barnardos CC DNF
Edward Barry Blarney CC DNF
Derek Cunningham Bray Wheelers DNF
Bernard Twomey Castlebar CC DNF
Ciaran Clarke Castlebar CC DNF
Michael Murray Jr Clann Eireann DNF
Sean Downey Cotes Darmor DNF
Colm Quinn Cuchulainn CC DNF
Charles Prendergast Cunga CC DNF
Stephen Gallagher Cyclepremier-Matelk DNF
Adam Armstrong Eurocycles DNF
Connor Murphy Eurocycles DNF
Simon Ryan Kanturk CUCC DNF
John Murray Lakeside Wheelers Mullingar DNF
Brian Geraghty Murphy Surveys Kilcullen DNF
John Gargan Murphy Surveys Kilcullen DNF
John Lynch Murphy Surveys Kilcullen DNF
Colm Laverty Navan RC DNF
Philip Deignan Radio Shack DNF
Michael Redden South Dublin CC DNF
Gary Gorman Stamullan M.D. RC DNF
David Wherity Swords CC DNF
Simon Williams Team Basso TC DNF
Michael Fitzgerald The Edge Sports Team DNF
Christopher Beattie Un-attached Ulster DNF
Robin Kelly Waterford CC DNF

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