SIMON COUGHLAN of the Navan club, winner of the Junior Tour of Ireland in 1993, showed he has bridged the gap to senior ranks with a good win in the Beechmount Cup yesterday at Navan.
At the end of four, 18-mile laps, Coughlan was 20 seconds clear of a group of 11. Paul Butler was second and Robert Whelan third, followed by Colm Watson, Dave McCall and Kirk Sloan.
Butler was to have joined a French team, Catavana, last week, but as the weather was bad in Paris he was advised to wait another week or two. Butler won Saturday's opening event in the Mid-Eastern Region league and went close to bringing off the double yesterday.
Four of the 89 starters went ahead on the first lap, and on the second time around there were 12 out in front. However, going out on the last lap Shane Baker and Stephen O'Sullivan had a lead of 40 seconds on a group of 27, who were led through by Butler and Whelan, with the main pack over two minutes further in arrears.
Approaching the Hill of Tara for the final time, Coughlan went in pursuit of Baker and O'Sullivan and he passed them on the climb. On the last six miles back in to the finish Coughlan's advantage was precarious, as he never gained more than 28 seconds, but he held on and Butler just pipped Whelan in the sprint for second place.
Coughlan, a student in the College of Technology, Kevin Street, said he did not get involved in the early moves but waited and put everything into one big effort. When he got clear his time trialling ability showed as he held off his pursuers in the charge to the line.
There were 114 in the race over three laps for third category licence holders and veterans. Anthony Doyle, who is not attached to any club, proved best. There were only 44 in the event over two laps for juniors and women, and Ross Blayney of Ards, who was the winner of the Banbridge club's handicap at Annaclone on Saturday, won again.
In Saturday's Mid-Eastern league race, Butler outsprinted Conor Lally, Willy Byrne and Mick O'Donnell at the end of the 6 miles at the rear of Dublin Airport.
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