Seth Dunwoody takes latest big result in UCI-ranked race | Video

Seth Dunwoody (Cannibal B Victorious) got back to wining ways on home roads at the weekend, when he claimed victory in the final round of the Cycling Ireland National Road Series, and now he has transferred that form to UCI-ranked racing in Europe.

The Irish junior – with some big fixtures in the green of Ireland fast approaching – was on the attack through his latest outing, before getting clear in the final winning move and unleashing his feared sprint in the dash to the line.

And though beaten to the victory at Trofee van Vlaanderen (1.1) in Reningelst, Belgium, by his team mate Nolan Huysmans, they took a very impressive 1-2 after what was a great showing by the squad through 134km of racing.

The two team mates were 1st and 2nd in the sprint for victory from the 15-man group that contested the finish after rain, cobbles and speed blew the race apart several times over three hours of intense competition.

In a race with torrential downpours, cobbled sections and about 1,000 metres of elevation, Dunwoody was quickly out the blocks, going up the road in a three-man group, with included his team mate Jasper Christiaens.

After about 20km off the front, the leaders were joined by a group of about a dozen more riders. However, with so many in the breakaway, the cooperation was not what it could have been and the bunch caught them with about 35km completed.

A new breakaway, of 10 riders, quickly formed and it pulled out a gap just above 1:30. With three of Dunwoody’s team mates in that move – eventual winner Nolan Huysmans, Olivers Skrapcis and Janek Jackowiak – it looked like the only Irish rider in the race may have missed the boat.

However, as the finish neared, the front group was whittled down to nine riders and their advantage was about 40 seconds, with a four-man group getting across to them. As the gap reduced a little more, Dunwoody also jumped across, catching the leaders with about 2km to go.

That paved the way for a sprint from the 15-man front group, won by Huysmans from Dunwoody, with Aldo Taillieu (Air College-B-Concept) rounding out the podium.

Dunwoody’s 2nd place follows some fine results earlier this year in UCI-ranked road racing – before switching to track for a shot at the junior Europeans last month, where he crashed. Back in February he was 2nd in Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne Juniors (1.1) and 5th overall in Guido Reybrouck Classic (2.1).

The second-year junior also won E3 Saxo Classic (1.1) in April and took a stage victory in the Junior UCI Nations Cup Course de la Paix Juniors (2.Ncup) in the Czech Republic in May.