2000 Summary |
6 Day Road Race 8th - 13th AUGUST 2000
Stage 1 - 2.4 Mile Hillclimb, Howth JUNIOR TOUR Stage 1: (By Shane Stokes) The
strong foreign contingent in this year’s Junior Tour dominated proceedings
today when all six placings were filled by non-Irish riders. Kieran Page of the
Great Britain squad proved fastest in the 4 kilometer prologue time trial up
Howth head, covering the distance in 7 minutes and 7 seconds. Page pipped
Dutchman Freek Folle and French rider Mickael Sarkissian to take the first
yellow jersey of the six day race, with Tim Cassidy best of the Irish back in
seventh place. The Junior Tour was first held in 1978 and has proved a
pointer to future success in cycling. Both Tour de France stage winner Martin
Earley and world junior champion Mark Scanlon have won the event, and the five
national teams present - France, Holland, Wales, England and Scotland – mean
that this year’s contest should be as competitive as ever. Best hope of a home
victory lies with the strong Stena Ireland team of Cassidy, Michael Dennehy,
Philip Duignan and national junior champion Colin Armstrong. Stage 2 - 52 Mile Circuit, Newbridge JUNIOR TOUR Stage 2 Milltown Kildare 42 miles: Results - 1 David Heaven Great Britain 2:05'15", 2 Mariv Boven Holland @same, 3 Huub Meulenbroekes Tempo BMV @same, 4 Stephen Ward S G Bollington @same, 5 Michael Dennehy Ireland Stena Line @same, 6 Tim Cassidy Ireland Stena Line @same Overall: 1 Kieran Page Great Britain 2:12'22", 2 Freek Foole Holland @06", 3 Mickael Sarkissian Volo la Pommemars @10", 4 Philippe Tesson Velo la Pommemars @11", 5 Norbert Poelis Holland @17", 6 Lewys Hobbs Wales @18", 7 Tim Cassidy Ireland Stena Line @24", Points: Freek Foole Holland KOM: Michael Dennehy Ireland Stena Line. Stage 3 - 45 Mile Circuit, Balbriggan Results - 1 Kieran Page Great Britain 1:43'10", 2 Freek Foole Holland @same, 3 Stephen Ward S G Bollington @23", 4 David Migne Poles Espoirs @same, 5 Richard Sutcliffe Great Britain @same, 6 Michel Van Diessen Tempo BMV @same Overall: 1 Kieran Page Great Britain 3:53'32", 2 Freek Foole Holland @06", 3 Norbert Poelis Holland @40", 4 Tim Cassidy Ireland Stena Line @47", 5 Richard Sutcliffe Great Britain @48", 6 Philip Duignan Ireland Stena Line @52" Points: Freek Foole Holland KOM: Mark Baker S G Bollington. Stage 4 - 52 Mile Road Race, Dunboyne (By Shane Stokes) Four stages down, two to go and the Great Britain squad have a vice-like grip on the Junior Tour. David Heaven yesterday won his second stage of the race in a mass bunch sprint, bringing his tally to four stages in two years. Of greater satisfaction to the team is the fact that Heaven’s compatriot, 17 year old Kieran Page has once again retained the yellow leaders jersey which he took on the opening leg of the race, and between them they have won every stage thus far. Yesterday’s 47 mile stage, on the roads around Summerhill, was one punctuated by many breakaway attempts and after twenty miles had been covered three riders were clear. Present was Ireland Stena’s Michael Dennehy, who along with his two companions was recaptured soon afterwards, but not before he had amassed enough points to take the leader in the mountains competition. Shortly afterwards six riders forged ahead, all of them from visiting squads, but Page’s Great Britain squad did sterling work in limiting their advantage and they were swept up in the run-in to the line. That left the way open for a bunch sprint, and having exhibited his superb finish on stage two, Heaven burst from the pack and beat Dennehy to the line by a bike length. Today’s stage is perhaps the most crucial of the race, with several severe climbs to be tackled after the 11.00 am start in Roundwood. Results - 1 David Heaven Great Britain 1:50'40", 2 Michael Dennehy Ireland Stena Line @same, 3 James Bell Great Britain @same, 4 David Migne Poles Espoirs @same, 5 Mark Baker S G Bollington @same, 6 Jos Van Veldhoven Tempo BMV @same Overall: 1 Kieran Page Great Britain 5:44'12", 2 Freek Foole Holland @06", 3 Norbert Poelis Holland @40", 4 Tim Cassidy Ireland Stena Line @47", 5 Richard Sutcliffe Great Britain @48", 6 Philip Duignan Ireland Stena Line @52" Points: Freek Foole Holland KOM: Michael Dennehy Ireland Stena Line. < Stage 5 - 57 Mile Mountain Stage, Roundwood The stranglehold of the Great Britain team was finally broken on today’s 5th stage of the Junior Tour, a 57 mile slog over some of the hardest climbs in Wicklow. Mickael Sarkissian was first to the finish line in Roundwood, one second ahead of Great Britain rider Richard Sutcliffe, Tim Cassidy of the Ireland Stena team and Norbert Poels of Holland Buitenlust. Yellow jersey Kieran Page conceeded 14 seconds to Sarkissian, finishing 19th on the stage, and lost two seconds to his closest rival Freek Folle. Folle goes into tomorrow’s final stage just 4 seconds in arrears and setting the stage for a head-to-head between his Holland side and the Great Britain team of Page. Tim Cassidy is best of the Irish in 4th place overall, with 34 seconds to make up on Page. Stage 6 - 61 Mile Road Race, Tallaght - Brittas PAGE WINS JUNIOR TOUR OF IRELAND, STAGE FOR BELL: Great Britain team rider Kieran Page today became only the third rider to lead the Junior Tour of Ireland from start to finish. Page, who won both the opening hill climb time trial and the third stage of the race, finished four seconds clear of Dutch rival Freek Folle, with Tim Cassidy best of the Irish in 4th. Today’s stage, based around Blessington, ended in a mass bunch sprint which was won by Page’s Great Britain team-mate James Bell. He was followed home by the Ireland Stena-Line trio of Colin Armstrong, Michael Dennehy and Tim Cassidy. Bell’s win marked five out of six stages for a dominant Great Britain team; only Mickael Sarkissian of France was able to break their stranglehold on the race, when he won Saturday’s stage in Roundwood. Previously, only Aidan Duff and 1998 world junior champion Mark Scanlon had led from start to finish.
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