CYCLING:IRISH PRO Daniel Martin took his first European victory since winning the 2008 Route du Sud when he raced to an excellent stage win on yesterday's fifth leg of the Tour of Poland. The 23-year-old Garmin Transitions rider broke clear four kilometres from the top of the summit finish in Ustron and pulled steadily clear of the field.
He completed the 149-kilometre mountain stage 20 seconds clear of Grega Bole (Lampre-Farnese Vini), Sylvester Szmyd (Liquigas-Doimo) and seven others.
Martin had started the day 23rd overall, 17 seconds off the race lead, but his strong climbing performance saw him end the day firmly in the yellow jersey of race leadership. He is 14 seconds clear of Bole and a further seven ahead of 2008 world road race champion Alessandro Ballan (BMC Racing Team), who won the race last year.
The ProTour contest continues today with a 228.5-kilometre penultimate stage, which features more climbing. If Martin retains the lead this evening, he has a strong chance of winning the overall classification when the event concludes tomorrow in Krakow.
In other news, the An Post Grant Thornton M Donnelly Sean Kelly team has decided the six-man squad for next month’s Tour of Britain. National road race champion Matt Brammeier will be joined by fellow Irishmen David O’Loughlin, Philip Lavery and Connor McConvey, as well as the British rider Mark McNally and the Belgian Pieter Ghyllebert.
The race is one of the top goals for the team in this second half of the season. It begins in Rochdale on Saturday, September 11th and finishes a week later in London.
McConvey, McNally and several others from the An Post squad were in action last weekend in the Suir Valley 3 Day in Clonmel.
Ronan McLaughlin went close to a stage victory when he finished second behind Stephen Gallagher (Sigma Sport) on the final day. Eurocycles rider Thomas Martin was part of a late break and gained enough time to overhaul Andy Roche (Isle of Man) and take the overall win. Cassidy took the mountains jersey while Martyn Irvine was the points classification victor.
Race organiser Declan Byrne was pleased with what is the fourth edition of the race, and hopes to take it onto the UCI calendar within two to three years.
He is also part of a working group that was named this week to help run the FBD Insurance Rás. Previous race organiser Dermot Dignam is delegating some duties, but will remain on in the new position of race director. Edward Dawson and Tony Campbell will act as his deputies, while Brona O’Sullivan, Stephen O’Sullivan, Séamus Domegan, Aidan Harper, Eimean Dignam, Kieran McIntyre, Sé O’Hanlon, Philip Cassidy, Alice Sherratt and Gerard Campbell will also help organise Ireland’s top cycling event.
WEEKEND FIXTURES
Today: Lurgan criterium, 7pm. Saturday: Youth track championships, Sundrive Road; Madigan GP, 11am Kilroot; 12-hour XC MTB Race, Bellurgan Park Estate, 8am. Saturday–Sunday: Ballinrobe Two- Day, stage one, 1pm. Sunday: Tour of Armagh, Lurgan, 12pm; Swords GP, Ballyboughal, 1pm; Youth racing, Waterstown Park, 11am; Dan O’Donovan Memorial, Fermoy, 12pm.
