Irvine shows strength Cassidy dissapoint
Plant X Rider Martin Irvine won the opening Stage of the 2010 SV3 Day.Despite torrential rain at the start of the race, the race was very fast with an average speed of over 50kmph in the first hour due to a high tailwind. Although this high tailwind kept things together there were two major crashes early in the stage and this split the peloton. Most of the Favourites avoided the crashes at the front and it was Martin Irvine who won the first hotspot of the day in Carrick on Suir and he also went onto win the second hotspot of the day in Fiddown. The race headed for Piltown and it was Sean Kellys Mark Cassidy who took the KOM spoils on Church hill and a group went clear befor the Cork Road. This group got organised very quickly and soon a gap of over a minute formed. This extended a futher 30 seconds by the second climb of Templeouroum again taken by An Posts Cassidy as with the final climb of the Day at Kilmaganny. The Days breakaway soon split and it was Thomas Martin ,Martin Irvine, Mark Cassidy,Conor Murphy, Andy Roche, who drove on .Mark Cassidy was very agressive in this first group and his every move was countered by his competitors. In the Final stages of the race it there was a 1min 30 gap between these groups at glenbower but in the final 10kms this was brought back to 30 secs. Ryan Sherlock, Sean Lacey and three An Posts went to the front to bring back the group, but it was the front break that were destined to take the spoils. The final sprint was taken By Martin Irvine, Mark Cassidy was visably upset as he had a schleck moment in the last 500m.
Overall
1. Martin Irvine Plant X
2. Conor Murphy Eurocycles Eurobaby
3. Andy Roche Team Isle of Man
4. Mark Cassidy Sean Kelly An Post
5. Thomas Martin Eurocycles Eurobaby
KOM
1. Mark Cassidy Sean Kelly An Post
2. Andrew Roche Team Isle of Man
3. Conor McConvey Sean Kelly An Post
4. Mark Cassidy Sean Kelly An Post
Hot Spot
1. Martin Irvine Planet X
2. Stephen Gallagher Sigma Sport
3. Stephen Barrett Planet X
4. Mark Cassidy Sean Kelly An Post
Points
1. Martin Irvine Planet X
2. Conor Murphy Eurocycles Eurobaby
3. Andrew Roche Team Isle of Man
4. Mark Cassidy Sean Kelly An Post
5. Thomas Martin Eurocycles Eurobaby
Special thanks to ComeraghCC,Dan Morissey Carrick Wheelers and our Marshalls for a great job today.You guys are great thanks.