Mark Scanlon from Sligo emerged the most decisive winner of the Credit Union Junior Tour yesterday. At the end of the total of 490 miles in eight days, the Ireland team leader had three minutes and 29 seconds to spare over Bradley Wiggins of the elite English team Brite, with British junior champion Yanto Barker another second behind.
On Saturday's 72-mile stage from Portarlington to Carlow, Scanlon led in a group of 14 and increased his lead to 2:16 over Wiggins, who took over second place from Barker. Then, yesterday, on the final stage in Dublin, Scanlon rode away from Wiggins, Barker and the rest of the 69 finishers to another win, this time by a minute and 13 seconds.
Scanlon also headed the points classification and, backed up by Shane Prendergast, Stephen Gallagher and David Kenneally, Ireland, sponsored by Dixons, were the best team by 2:01 from Britain. The only classification Scanlon did not win was the King of the Mountains. Marko Kurits (Estonia) took that title, with 18 points. Scanlon was second on seven.
On Saturday, Prendergast was in a breakaway group and looked set to move into second place overall but Wiggins went in pursuit, with Scanlon behind, and they joined the leaders on the descent from The Butts climb. In the sprint into Carlow, Scanlon came through on the inside with a well-timed effort to win from Thomas Hogan of Connacht.
The final stage yesterday was over 27 laps of a circuit at Lower Mount Street of almost a mile and Scanlon again demonstrated who was boss. When Wiggins sprinted out of the big group for one of the special primes at the end of lap 12, Scanlon quickly got up to him only to be joined by Barker. Scanlon had given the impression during the week that he was only playing with the opposition and when he turned on the power, on lap 16, the British pair could not stay with him. For a while the lead hovered around the 20-second mark, with the main group at 50 seconds, but then, with four laps left, the chasers wilted and Scanlon went to over a minute ahead.
Wiggins and Barker were caught by the pack but Scanlon pressed on and won a minute and 13 seconds clear. The sprint for second place was won by Marko Kurits of Estonia from Sam Collins (Britain), with Wiggins third.
It's Ras Connachta for Scanlon next weekend and then he goes to Holland for racing and preparation for the world junior championships at Valkenburg in Holland in October.
