Feeley closing gap on National Road Series leader Lacey

Though he has been consistent throughout the season, Daire Feeley took his first win of 2016 last Sunday with victory in the Donamon GP. That result pushed him right back into contention for the National Road Series which is currently being led by Sean Lacey (Aquablue). (Photo: John Coleman/DC Images)

By Brian Canty

With just four races to go in the National Road Series we thought it timely to bring you up to date with who is in with a shout of taking the title from defending champion Bryan McCrystal (ASEA-Wheelworx).

Last weekend saw round eight of the series take the riders to Connacht for the Donamon GP where local man Daire Feeley (iTap) won for the second year in-a-row.

He was followed over the line by Sean Lacey of Aquablue who is currently on course to win the series.

Lacey has now raced seven of the eight events, opting not to tackle Ulster and instead focusing on races in Connacht, Munster and Leinster.

The criteria states that a rider’s best five scores are taken at the end of the series and the winner is determined by the rider with the most points - so long as they’ve raced in at least three of the four provinces.

As it stands, Lacey has fulfilled that criteria and his best five scores so far are; 57 for second at Rás Luimní, 57 for second at the Donamon GP, 48 for fourth at the Des Hanlon Memorial Classic, 57 for second at the Stamullen GP and 45 for fifth at the Shay Elliott Memorial.

Those scores see him currently on 264 points, though two riders not far behind are the aforementioned Feeley and one of the stars of the season Chris McGlinchey (Chain Reaction Cycles).

Feeley has raced five of the eight events so far and like Lacey, has raced in Munster, Leinster and Connacht.

His tally of 220 points comes from; seventh in Rás Luimni (41), eighth at the Des Hanlon Memorial (39), 13^th in the Davis Cup (29), fourth at the Stamullen GP (48) and winning his home race last weekend (63).

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Similarly, McGlinchey has raced five of the eight events so far, opting for events in Munster, Ulster and Leinster.

He’s on 161 points with that tally accruing from sixth in Rás Luimní (43), second in the Wallace Caldwell Memorial (57), seventh in the Stamullen GP (41), outside the top 20 in the Visit Nenagh Classic (10) and likewise at the Shay Elliott (10).

There are a clutch of riders after breaking the 100-point tally but as it stands it looks like it’s between Lacey, Feeley and McGlinchey to take the title this year.

Reigning champion McCrystal has only raced three of the eight events and lags way back on 59 points.

The next event is the Tralee Manor West GP (Munster) on Sunday July 10^th with the remaining events after that being the Brian McNamara Memorial in Connacht on July 24^th, the John Beggs Memorial on August 13^th and North Down GP (both Ulster) a week later.