THERE WAS a remarkable triumph yesterday for 55 year old Sean Lally in the annual Dublin to Drogheda and back handicap race. In the sprint to the line at the end of the 42 miles at the Brock Inn outside Finglas, Lally beat 17 year old David McQuaid.

Lally, winner of the event 13 years ago, had his usual two weeks of training in the Canaries in February to prepare him for yet another season while McQuaid, who fell at the halfway turn and grazed his left leg, had to settle for second place again as he was also foiled in the final sprint last year by Ruairi Kelly.

There was a field of 137 and Lally and McQuaid were in the second group off, seven minutes behind the limit markers, with the second category men at a further four minutes. The scratch group set out another four minutes later and they failed by just 43 seconds to get on terms with all those in front of them.

When some of those in the first two groups merged five of them went on. McQuaid was joined first by Lally and then by David Woods, Shane Prendergast and Romano Morelli.

Then approaching the finish, McQuaid and Lally went on from the other three and McQuaid could not match Lally's powerful final surge.