Tour Series Dublin: Dan Martin dominant round streets of Temple Bar

Garmin-Transitions’ Dan Martin proved his class when the Halfords Tour Series hit Dublin on Saturday evening, making a solo attack early in the race around the city’s vibrant Temple Bar area and never looking like being caught, building an advantage so large that he was even able to shrug off a late mechanical problem as he headed for victory.

The race was the second in a double-header across the Irish Sea that saw the racing format exported to the Emerald Isle, with local teams joining some of those competing in the British series, which continues this evening in Chester.

Martin, who is preparing to try and win back the Irish national champion’s jersey that his cousin, AG2R La Mondiale’s Nico Roche, took off him last year, was riding as a guest, so while he did wrap up the Boardman Bikes sprints prize over the two races, his victory did not affect the team competition.

That was won with a four point margin by An Post Sean Kelly, whose rider David O’Loughlin had taken the individual win in Belfast on Friday evening, where the outfit also won the team competition, meaning that in Dublin they swapped their usual green jerseys for the race leaders’ orange ones.

The second-placed team was CyclePremier.com-Metaltek with Sigma Sport-Specialized third, while the top-placed Irish provincial team was Cycling Ulster-Slanes Cycles, who came fifth.