Eventual winner Daire Feeley, far right, in the early breakaway on Sunday. He said taking revenge on Paddy Clarke of Fitscience was sweet (Photo: www.jimmymcelroy.com – follow Jimmy on Facebook and Twitter)
By Brian Canty
Daire Feeley has said he knew he had the winning of Sunday’s Donamon Dynamos GP when he escaped in four-man group without some of the established names of Irish cycling present.
Having gone clear with Paddy Clarke (Fitscience), Shane Scully (Nenagh CC) and Cian Delaney (Stamullen); Feeley clearly had enough power with him to make it all the way.
And when they left behind riders such as Eoin Morton (UCD CC) and Mark Dowling (DID Dunboyne), the four escapees took their chance.
"We got a gap and Jonathan (Gibson, team manager) came over in the team car and told us Morton was coming across with two others,” said Feeley.
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“So we turned the screw again until they cracked and it was between the four of us then.
"We worked well until about 2k to go and I sat on Paddy Clarke because he’d done that to me in Loughrea in February when he beat me, so revenge was sweet.
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Clarke taking victory in Loughrea at the start of the season back in February, with Feeley just behind in second place having been outfoxed by the Fitscience man (Photo: www.jimmymcelroy.com – follow Jimmy on Facebook and Twitter, homepage photo by Sean Rowe)
"He opened up the sprint and I knew once I had his wheel it was mine; it was my home club race and the motivation was high," he said in reference to starting his cycling with promoting club Donamon Dynamos.
Feeley, who is in the middle of his Leaving Cert, will now turn his attention to the national championships with hopes of a strong performance in the U23 road race.
"You never know how the day will pan out," he suggested
"It'll be a long day in the saddle so you'll have to be smart as well as strong but a medal would be nice.
"Having said that, it could go 20 different ways so we'll have to see how it pans out and who has the legs on the day.”
Sunday’s win capped a memorable weekend for Feeley as he also took a solo victory in the Mooney Cup criterium on Saturday night.
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