Craig McAuley is very much a young Irish rider on the up and is one of a number of riders who can do serious damage at the Suir Valley Three Day this weekend (Photo: Sean Rowe)
The Suir Valley Three-Day starts tomorrow, Saturday, in Clonmel with three days of action-packed racing on the cards.
Over four stages a field of some 170 riders will battle it out over three road stages and a criterium.
The race has been blessed over the years to have the likes of the An Post Chain Reaction team present for it and this year, in the 10th edition of the race, there is another strong field assembled.
There’s a healthy contingent travelling from abroad and among them are defending champion Ed Laverack (Condor Cycles presented by Mavic).
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The Welshman will wear number 1 on his back but he won’t have things easy.
However, with an Irish elite team racing in France and a number of other very strong riders absent it makes the race one of the most open and eagerly-awaited in years.
Here are 9 riders, besides Laverack, who could challenge.
Eoin Morton (UCD-Fitzcycles.ie)
The An Post Ras stage winner has had the best season of his career so far and his landmark victory in May will never be forgotten.
It will also mean he’ll never come into a race without being closely watched and last year, he was among the highest-placed Irishman on GC, taking 8th overall.
Expect him to be there or thereabouts again.
Jon Mould (Condor Cycles presented by Mavic)
Mould is a fine rider and is in superb form at the moment, as his third place in the UK national crit champs last night would suggest.
The 25 year-old has won the most amount of Tour series crits in history so on that record he’s the unbackable favourite for Sunday night.
This year he won a staggering six of the ten rounds, taking his pedigree as a track rider onto the roads.
It’ll be interesting to see how he deals with the longer, hillier stages but we suspect he will be in the shake-up.
Elliott Porter (Neon Velo)
A late edition to the start-list, the 24 year-old has raced for Rapha Condor in the past as well as Team 3M in Belgium.
He has challenged for stages in UCI races like the Tour of Korea as well as the Mzansi Tour in South Africa.
He is on his own but with his experience he may not need the army of riders more teams might have.
Ronan McLaughlin (Foyle CC)
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Another late edition, another man on his own and another man with plenty experience.
The Donegal man is one of the classiest riders in the bunch and was exceptional in the An Post Ras this year, albeit as a support rider and ‘father figure’ for some of the others in the team.
Racing for himself this weekend we should see plenty aggression from him.
Craig McAuley (Caldwell Cycles, Omagh)
Another man enjoying a very good season and among his top performances were runner-up at the Shay Elliott Memorial to Marc Potts (Neon Velo), a massive win in the Waller Cup in Bohermeen while also taking second in the Foyle GP.
He has the Moore brothers Darnell and Calvin with him this weekend and should go close to a stage win.
He is due a really big breakthrough win and there's no time like the present.
Daire Feeley (iTap)
One of the strongest men in the country at the moment and definitely one of the favourites for this weekend.
Feeley is in awesome form at the moment and back-to-back wins last weekend are proof of that.
He has a huge appetite for work and great stomach for battle and you can bet your last Euro he’ll be in the breaks this weekend.
Having been one of the top juniors in country and since having moved into the national U23 team set-up, a good ride by Feeley this weekend could edge him closer to the opportunity to race abroad next year.
Sean Lacey (Aquablue)
The Aquablue man is one of just two former winners of the race and by that token he knows exactly what’s required.
He has good support this weekend from two teams and would love to round off the weekend with a stage win or jersey of some colour.
Lacey has been around for many years and has won most of the big ones in Ireland. He is still in great condition and in his prime and can shine on this stage.
Stephen Murray (Strata3-VeloRevolution)
Had a painful end to the race last year when he crashed hard on Sunday’s stage two so he will be out to atone for that.
He won a race last weekend in Cork from a breakaway and has good teammates around him this next few days.
Murray has developed hugely is a bike rider in recent years and a big, big result this weekend would be no major upset.
Eoin O’Connell (Killarney CC)
Has taken some major wins this year in very impressive fashion; the John Drumm Cup in Currow, the Paddy Flanagan Memorial and a stage as well as overall honours at the Ballinrobe 2-Day.
He also stormed to a massive win in the Munster road race championships so he can definitely put it up to the more established riders this weekend.
He really has been in impressive form of late and, like the others featured here; with a clear run and a bit of good luck on his side anything is possible.
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