MARTIN DONNELLY JUNIOR TOUR 2007 - Stage 5

Castlebar to Windy Gap

M DONNELLY JUNIOR TOUR: STAGE 5 REPORT By Tommy Campbell Irish Independent, Evening Herald, Sunday Independent Jul 14, 2007,   The penultimate stage of the M. Donnelly Junior Tour was certainly 'moving day' a term used in the Masters Golf in America. Well it was certainly borne out for 18 year-old economic student, Niek van Geffen of the Tempo MBV Veldhoven team based in Holland. The drop out to date in the six day tour has been remarkably low with 58 starters facing the stage which certainly was going by all accounts to sort out the General Classification. Ten competitors were within shouting distance of race leader, Sam Webster. Not only did Sam lose out but Denis Dunworth of the Stena-Ireland team came a cropper when he hit the deck in the last 10 kilometers and also his dream of being successful was in tatters on a road in Co. Mayo, but such is cycling! Denis will savour better things in the future but unfortunately there was no silver lining for him. Strangely there were no breaks early, mainly the juniors were tripping along at 50kms and it would have taken a motor bike to escape the clutches of the peloton. There was an early fright for Kieran Frend when he had mechanical trouble after 14kms of racing. He was in the top ten overnight, so it was no surprise when he made it back into the comfort zone of the peloton after a hectic chase. As the riders turned off the main road and headed for Swinford, Nathan Edmonson of the Dave Raynor team, along with Blair Gibb of Scotland and Colm O'Shea hit the deck. In the case of Edmonson it caused concern in the Raynor camp as his team mate Sam Webster was in yellow and needed all the support in his quest to keep the most important garment on his shoulders. Fortunately all three re-established themselves in the main bunch. Up to the 40km mark there were sporadic efforts to go clear but they all came to nil. It was left to the young Frenchman Lucas Rinaldi of Usher-Moy/VC la Pomme to establish a commanding lead which was sufficient to put him as race leader on the road. Lucas's advantage was sufficient to give him a minute cushion, but he had 40kms left and the daunting ascent of the 'Windy Gap' which would surely be the 'Waterloo' for many wanabees who had aspirations to lift the gleaming silver cup as winner of the 'JT. The Frenchman did hold out to get over the top on the first passage, but now the leading lights were starting to assemble to blitz the field and yes they did it, but it was at their expense when the Tempo BMV Veldhoven duo of van Geffen and Bennson Ruan made a dash for glory. The leaders going through Pontoon with 10km to the finish on the Windy Gap - Picture by Martin McNally The chasing group with 10km to go to the finish on the Windy Gap - Picture by Martin McNally The speed was now on in earnest and at Laherdane and 13kms to go the Dutch juniors were certainly in the ascendancy. Still, Webster the overnight leader was digging into his reserves and with 10kms to go made contact with a group who went in search of the leaders which included Sam Bennett and Denis Dunworth of the Irish team but as already indicated Dunworth's race ended. Geffen did survive to cross the line ahead of Ruan with Bennett and Webster leaving the door ajar for a final assault tomorrow in the 30th edition of the M. Donnelly Junior Tour. Stena Ireland squad member Sam Bennett finishing in 3rd place on the Windy Gap - Picture by Martin McNally The yellow jersey finishing on the Windy Gap - Picture by Martin McNally Historical interest of the day: If you hear the term "Castlebar Races," don't start thinking horses or bike racing! It refers to a major clash between the English and the Franco-Irish forces in 1798. The Irish troops under General Humbert achieved a crushing victory over the much larger English army commanded by General Lake. The defeated cavalry fled the field at such a pace that the event was tauntingly called the Castlebar Races. The podium after stage 5, - Picture by Seamus Shortall M. Donnelly Junior Tour Stage 5 Castlebar/Castlebar (Windy Gap), 106.9kms. 1 Nick van Geffen (Tempo BMV Veldhoven), 2hrs.41mins.00; 2 B. Bennson (Tempo BMV Veldhoven), @31secs; 3 S. Bennett (Stena-Ireland), @34; 4 S. Flynn (Isle of Man), @41; 5 S. Webster (Dave Raynor), @46; 6 F. Boyer (Usher-Moy/VC la Pomme), @1.10; 7 A. Ponten (Tempo BMV Veldhoven), @1.30; 8 G. Spierings (Tempo BMV Veldhoven), @1.44; 9 A. Whitehall (Scotland), @1.53; 10 S. van Leijen (Tempo BMV Veldhoven), @2.25. Overall after 5 stages 1 Geffen, 10.26.08; 2 Bennett, @29; 3 Webster, @36; 4 Ruan, @49; 5 Albouy (Usher-Moy/VC la Pomme), @2.521; 6 Boyer, @3.01; 7 K. Frend (BC West Midlands), @3.05; 8 T. Martin (BC West Midlands), @3.09; 9 D. Jeff (BC West Midlands), @3.12; 10 L. Lucas (Usher-Moy/VC la Pomme), @3.18. First year Junior: Geffen. Points: Bennett. Mountains: Bennett.