Martin loses by narrow margin in photo finish

CYCLING:SPRINTING HOME in what was most likely the closest ever finish in the National Road Race Championships, defending champion Matt Brammeier beat Dan Martin by a mere centimetre in yesterday's Elite race in Scotstown, Monaghan.

A photo finish was needed to separate the two, and to show that Martin – who was moving faster and overtook his rival immediately after the line – had lost out by a tiny margin.

Both riders had high motivation to succeed.

Brammeier has gained considerably publicity from wearing the distinctive white and green jersey throughout the season, and is unsure if his HTC Highroad team will exist after this year. Although it’s the most successful team in cycling, it’s battling to find new sponsors and he may need to get a contract elsewhere.

Martin, meanwhile, is disappointed at not being selected for the Tour de France by his Garmin-Cervélo team, and set out to prove a point yesterday.

He certainly did so, attacking more than any other rider and sparking off the final split from a larger eight-man group. He and Brammeier drove things onwards to the line, opening an 18-second gap over bronze medallist David McCann (Giant Kenda), Tour de France-bound Nicolas Roche (Ag2r la Mondiale) and best under-23 rider, Sam Bennett (An Post Grant Thornton M Donnelly Seán Kelly).

“I was very tired yesterday after taking the time trial championship on Friday evening,” Brammeier told The Irish Times afterwards.

“I tried to do as little work as possible and to save everything for the last lap and the climb.”

Martin had a more active race and felt that he could have won had the sprint played out a little differently.

“I just messed up the sprint a little bit. I definitely had the legs but misjudged the distance to the line, going a fraction late,” he said. “My gears also slipped about 50 metres from the line, and that slowed me.

“To miss it by that little is disappointing.”

The top five were part of a nine-man group which came together on the third of seven 25 kilometre laps.

Also present were Bennett’s team-mates Ronan McLaughlin and Philip Lavery plus Martyn Irvine (Giant Kenda), who would take places sixth through to eighth.

ProTeam rider Philip Deignan (RadioShack) was also there, but is still fatigued after riding the Giro d’Italia and Tour de Suisse and pulled out before the end.

Dectek were best in the teams’ classification.

Brammeier’s win saw him take a very rare road race/time trial double, and ended four days of national championship competition.

Siobhan Horgan (The Edge) outsprinted Louise Moriarty (Look Mum No Hands) and Caroline Walsh (Garda CC) in Saturday’s women’s road race, collecting a superb fifth career title.

Greg Swinand soloed to victory in the veteran’s event, stepping up from the silver medal he took twelve months ago.

The winner then, Dave Peelo (Murphy Surveyors), finished behind Joe Fenlon (The Edge) in the sprint and had to be happy with bronze this time round.