Dan Martin's win at the Tour of Lombardy was the international ride of the year, but domestic riders, volunteers and clubs have also been honoured by Cycling Ireland's members.
Eddie Dunbar was named the Irish Male Rider of the Year at the Cycling Ireland Awards on Saturday night.
The Corkman was unstoppable in the junior ranks at home this year, and also produced some phenomenal displays riding on the Continent.
Arguably, it was his Junior Tour win in July that stands out above all the others.
He won the race by more than two minutes and became the first rider in the history of the event to notch back to back victories.
He also won the junior road race crown, was second in the Shay Elliot to Damien Shaw (Aquablue) and was runner up in the Trofeo Karlsberg, a UCI-ranked Nations Cup event.
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Another dominant display saw him win the Junior Tour of Wales, where he danced away from the field several times when the road went up.
Golden girl: Fiona Meade stuck her hands up in the air on the biggest stages this year, and she was a winner again at the Cycling Ireland awards (Photo by JimmyMcElroy.com)
And there was double success for his O’Leary’s Stone Kanturk club when Dunbar’s coach Dan Curtin won the award for Best Coach of the Year.
Fiona Meade made it a trio of titles for Cork when she won the award for the Female Rider of the Year; winning the elite women’s road race title and a fantastic An Post Rás na mBan enough for him to take home the trophy.
She took a stage in the latter event and also the points classification thanks to her consistency in the stages; results made all the more remarkable considering she combines her cycling with a full time job as a physiotherapist.
Lakeside Wheelers scooped the Club of the Year award.
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They have long promoted a series of great races and sportives and put on a great showing in promoting the elite national road and time trial championships this year.
That event was made harder when the women’s and vets’ races had to be postponed because of a tragic traffic accident close to the course on the morning of those races, meaning both were rescheduled for September.
No slouch himself on the track, Hugh Byrne's work organising the track scene at home has given many riders a great start. He's our volunteer of the year.
Another really deserved winner on the night was the tireless Hugh Byrne of the Sundrive Track Team.
He won Volunteer of the Year, a fitting accolade for a man who has become the backbone of the domestic track scene in recent years.
The Tour of the Burren was named the Leisure Event of the Year; no mean feat given the rise and rise of sportives in the last number of years.
The European MTB Marathon Championships was the Competitive Event of the Year, beating off the likes of the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan and the Shay Elliott.
The final award went to Dan Martin for International Cycling Performance of the Year; his win in the Tour of Lombardy voted best by the media.
Martin was unable to attend the awards night as he is in the US on a training camp with his new Garmin-Cannondale line-up.
Outstanding year: Eddie Dunbar's huge season has been recognised as the best of any home rider. He now sets sail for the pro ranks with the UK-based Continental team NFTO (Photo: Stephen McMahon - Sportsfile)
Cycling Ireland Award Winners 2014
- Volunteer of the Year – Hugh Byrne (Sundrive Track Team)
- Club of the Year – Lakeside Wheelers
- Best Leisure Event of the Year – An Post Tour de Burren
- Best Competitive Event of the Year – European MTB Marathon Championships
- Best Domestic Based Male Rider of the Year – Eddie Dunbar
- Best Domestic Based Female Rider of the Year – Fiona Meade
- Best Coach of the Year – Dan Curtin (Kanturk CC)
- International cycling performance of the year - Dan Martin (Tour of Lombardy)
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