Daire Feeley has had a breakthrough year and with his strength and race craft his career is only starting to blossom (Photo: Pawel Sadowski – Shutterstills.com)
By Brian Canty
Irish junior international Daire Feeley believes the experience of having ridden the European Championships in Switzerland in July will stand to him when the selection is being made for this month’s World Championships in Ponferrada, Spain.
The Roscommon Leaving Cert student won his 10th race of the season recently when he scooped the Davis Cup in Co Mayo the weekend before last, and feels he is in the form of his life.
He was one of the favourites for the national junior road race championships in Cork last month and despite a brave effort, just fell outside the medals; taking 4th after missing the breakaway.
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“I went back to school last Wednesday but all I’m thinking about is the bike, to be honest,” the Donamon Dynamos man said.
“I’ve really ramped up the training; just hoping I’ll get picked for the Worlds. I’m doing more training than I’ve ever done before because it would mean everything to me to be on that team in Spain."
Feeley has really come from nowhere at the start of the season to go on an amazing year-long winning run and blast his way into the international fold.
After winning Rás Dun na nGall in heroic fashion over the June Bank Holiday weekend he was elevated to the national team where he rode in support of Eddie Dunbar abroad and at home – the latter in the Junior Tour, which cemented his European place.
Feeley has been winning races since very early in the season but it was his overall victory in Donegal that really underlined his form (Photo: Eymard Brennan Photography)
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“It was definitely the hardest race I've ever done,” he said of the Europeans in Switzerland where he would suffer an ill-timed mechanical.
“From that experience I have an idea what I'm in for now if I'm picked for the Worlds. So I'm able to work on that.
"The competition for the five places is fierce; there's loads of good riders who deserve a place but I’m giving it everything I can.”
Having flown well below the radar last year, he said everything has “just clicked” for him this time around.
“I'd put my success this year down to all the training I've been doing," he said.
"My coach Jonathan Gibson has done so much for me, giving up his own time just to help me improve. He really knows his stuff.
"I'd definitely say it's the key factor for me this year and without him I definitely wouldn't be where I am right now. This year everything just clicked for me I'm delighted with it. It would be great to cap it off by supporting whoever in Spain.”
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