Cycling - 5th for Clifford in Sprint Finish in MC1-3 Road Race

Eoghan Clifford has finished 5th in the Men’s C1-3 Road Race at the Paralympic Games in Rio. The Galway man, who won gold in the Time Trial on Wednesday, was one of the top seeds for the title going into the race which incorporated riders from the Men’s C1 and C2 categories as well as his own C3 class. Colin Lynch, who won silver in the C2 Time Trial this week, was also competing with a goal of acting as a domestique for Clifford and finished in 24th position.

The 71.1km race was three laps of a 23.7km course with a relatively flat race profile, with a few hills. With a high pace set in the opening lap a lead break of 6 C3 riders pulled away from a bunch that included reigning World Champion Masaki Fujita from Japan. By the second lap World bronze medallist Eduardo Santas Asensio of Spain was also distanced, with Clifford and Fabio Anobile of Italy setting a high pace. In the final lap the pace remained fast with the Irish endurance rider keen to drop his opponents. The race came down to a sprint, in which a very disappointed Clifford came fifth after his chain slipped 200m from the line.

“I did a good race. I felt good coming into the sprint; just unfortunately 200m to go my chain came off. That’s bike racing really. Today I felt very good. I did everything I could do. These things happen, it’s disappointing” said a philosophical Clifford at the end of the race.

Having a team mate in the race was beneficial for Clifford, with Lynch playing a key part in the establishment of a break. He said “Colin got in the early break and that was good. A couple of the other teams had to chase so when they pulled it back I went and about eight of us got away.  On the first lap there was a lot of attacking on the hills and it whittled it down to six. For the next lap and a half there were six of us, again there was a bit of attacking and there it got whittled a bit more. In the last lap we really let fly at each other, there was a volley of attacks on the hills.”

Lynch was happy to work for his teammate saying “I did my best to stay at the front and just at the right time I was able to jump away with one of the riders and create a little bit of a gap. I think it created a bit of panic behind and I thought it was perfect, if I can get a little bit up the road with one of the riders then Eoghan could jump across.”

Clifford and Lynch will now pick up team duties for the tandems who will be in action tomorrow in the WB and MB Tandem Road Races. Lynch said “I will be coming out for the tandem race to hand out bottles, be a part of their race and hopefully win another medal.”

The tandems will compete tomorrow at 5pm Irish time.