The Gorey Three-Day is a belter of a race and picking a winner is never easy. Could a rider like Adam Stenson, above, take the final yellow jersey this weekend? The talented junior is part of a very strong nataional team that includes one of the pre-race favourites in Michael O'Loughlin (Photo: Jimmy McElroy)
Looking through the list of former Gorey Three Day winners over the years, some big names jump out.
Dan Martin is one who springs to mind while others include Sean Kelly (1977), Pat McQuaid (1968), Mark Scanlon (1998), Robert Power (1989) and Paidi O’Brien (2002).
Here, we preview the riders we think can challenge for stage wins and the overall this weekend. However, this is an event where emerging riders often announce themselves.
After a number of very good rides in the first month of the season, Darragh O’Mahoney of O’Leary’s Stone Kanturk took the the A3-Junior event at the CycleSport GP in Waterford last weekend (Photo: Sean Rowe)
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The Kanturk stable in north Cork has long been producing talented riders and might Darragh O’Mahony be the latest off the production line?
He’s still a junior but has taken some excellent results this year racing against far more experienced riders.
He was third on the opening day of the campaign at the Lacey Cup after being one of just a few who managed to stay with the indomitable Sean McKenna (Aquablue).
Last Sunday he won a tough A3-Junior race in Dungarvan. He’ll form part of a Munster selection this weekend.
Class act: Michael O’Loughlin shows his delight after taking victory on stage 5 of the Junior Tour of Ireland last year. Who can stop the young Carrick man in Gorey this weekend? (Photo: Stephen McMahon – Sportsfile)
Michael O'Loughlin is the most feared junior rider in the country and will definitely fancy his chances of overall victory this weekend.
Not only does the route feature some stinging climbs but the time-trial on Sunday should play right into his hands.
He’s already taken a string of victories this year but this would be his best yet and would surely rank up there with his Junior Tour of Ireland stage wins from last year if he were to pull it off.
He will be backed by a superbly strong national team featuring Jake Gray, Simon Tuomey, Declan Mulholland, Adam Stenson and Cathal Clarke.
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Don Feighery, left, in action for Comeragh CC during the 2010 FBD Insurance Rás.
Don Feighry took a break from racing for a few years but made a fine comeback this year in the A4 ranks by claiming a couple of early wins.
Feighery has ridden the An Post Rás in the past (above) and knows his way around the bunch very well.
He’s part of a highly motivated Waterford Racing Team this weekend so could certainly make a couple of breaks and possibly catch a few by surprise.
As ever, there are plenty of foreign riders making their way to Gorey this weekend for the annual three day race, with Germany, the UK and France all represented.
They never just come to make up the numbers and the VC Eckwersheim team from France bring no less than nine A2 riders, so they sure mean business.
We’ll be keen to see how they progress and the same can be said for a German team with eight in its ranks, and a number of UK teams.
Fintan Ryan is the 2013 National junior road race champion and will ride for DID Dunboyne in a decent looking six-man team.
It will be interesting to see what kind of form Fintan Ryan (DID Dunboyne) is in, while Joe Christain (Gorey CC) is a very quick sprinter and could do something.
Likewise, Fergal May of St Tiernan’s CC has shown some very good form and is a potential winner of this race.
Trevor Robinson (Comeragh CC) is another very good rider who could do very well, especially of he gets the rub of the green.
Carrick Wheelers rider Jamie Blanchfield will be keen to put behind an injury-blighted 2014 and get back to the form he’s capable of, having taken bronze in the junior road race championships last year.
Dermot White of Lucan CRC has been in or around the results of late as too has Niall Whelan of Laois CC.
Seamus Sinnott and James Maddock are two Wexford Wheelers men worth keeping an eye on; with a rider like Sinnott capable of taking more than one stage win in his native county this weekend.
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