Eoin Morton had a phenomenal season, winning some big one-day races as well as coming within an inch of taking the AmberGreen Energy Tour of Ulster.
The UCD CC man, with the help of his teammates held the the race leader’s pink jersey going into the final day but would lose it to Mark Dowling in cruel fashion.
It was still an amazing weekend for him against many of the 'bigger' teams. The Cycling Ireland Awards night was held last Saturday night in Dublin but we decided to create 10 more awards of our own.
The ‘Ian Stannard’ Award: Sean McKenna, St Patrick’s Day
McKenna took his sixth win of the season on St Patrick’s Day when he beat Chris Reilly (Team ASEA) in the sprint for the line after they’d been part of an initial four-man break featuring Bryan McCrystal (Team ASEA) and Daragh Zaidan (Adamstown CC).
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Zaidan was dropped leaving the ASEA duo outnumbering McKenna. But try as they might to shake him in the closing kilometres the Aquablue was equal to everything.
Not quite Ian Stannard when he saw off three Etixx-QuickStep men to win Het Nieuwsblad in February, but you get the idea.
The ‘He surely can’t win, can he?’ Award: Eoin Morton
Eoin Morton went into the final 70km stage of the four-dayevent as race leader by three seconds.
Against some of the best teams from home and abroad he played it to absolute perfection on a wretched weekend for racing that saw one stage neutralised due to the cold.
Morton’s joy at taking the race leader’s pink jersey was shortlived when he was caught out by a late break and victory went to Mark Dowling from DID Dunboyne, with the stage win going to Roger Aiken (Team Asea).
The ‘David vs Goliath’ Award: Ian Richardson, An Post Rás
Ian Richardson proved his class this year when he finished 10th overall in the An Post Rás, a result absolutely nobody would have given him any chance of doing.
After escaping in a break on the first day that managed to get over three and a half minutes on the bunch he maintained his lead all week, ending up just 10 minutes down on winner Lukas Postlberger (Tirol Cycling Team).
The story of his life only emerged afterwards, and what a story it was...
The Best Beard Award: Marcus Cromie (Shimna Wheelers)
We have a few contenders, such as Strata3/VeloRevolution teammates Stephen Murray and Anthony Doyle but we don’t think anyone can trump this man! Phenomenal!
Best Attack Award: Mark Dowling in Des Hanlon Memorial
Every race has a defining moment and each is as important as the next but for sheer devastation it has to be Dowling jumping away from a reduced front group and time-trialling solo to the finish.
He said it was one of the best performances of his career to date and when you consider the calibre of men left trailing in his wake we’re inclined to agree.
The Most Unsociable Rider Award: Damien Shaw
The reigning national road race champion won a fair amount of races again this year and most of them coming in the only manner he knows how; solo.
So for riding out front on his own so often, the Mullingar firearm gets the Most Unsocialable Rider of the Year Award.
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He did it on the biggest one-day stage of the year when he left the break training in his wake.
He did it at the Cycleways Cup and Tour of Ards in March in March and again in late May at the Deenside Cup in Kilkenny.
"Where Did He Come From Award": Mark O’Callaghan
The Limerick CC teenager, left, rode for the Munster U23 team as a relative unknown, finished in the front group on each day and was a threat for the espoir and A2/A3 jersey all weekend.
He’s after joining Aquablue for 2016 so we can’t wait to see more of him.
He won’t be coming in under the radar anyway, that’s for sure.
The ‘Vincenzo Nibali’ Award for cheating: Francesca Reda
Not for his death-defying descending or his humility, Reda was ejected from the An Post Rás in May after receiving an illegal tow from his team car a day after taking the race lead.
He went on a bit of a rant on twitter about Ireland and his team even threatened to pull out of the race but his disqualification did nothing to take from the week.
Reda came into the race with a bit of a reputation for stepping outside the bounds of legality in the past.
The 32-year-old previously served a suspension for missing a drug test, though his ban was reduced when he agreed to give evidence to the CIRC.
He rode in the WorldTour for three consecutive seasons.
We suspect he won't be sending an Christmas cards to the commissaires who were on the race this year.
"Bravery Award": Anyone who finished the crit at the Suir Valley
The third stage of the Suir Valley 3-Day this year was a criterium around Clonmel town centre.
But with heavy rain falling all afternoon and evening it made conditions treacherous so the decision was taken to neutralise matters.
The commissaires, however, insisted everyone had to race for at least after 15 minutes after which they could pull out if they wanted - without suffering any time penalty.
Needless to say there were many who opted out, though a fair chunk toughed it out for the hour.
And there were no casualties. Chapeaux to one and all!
"He’s Not Supposed To Be Able To Do That Award": Bryan McCrystal
The third stage of the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan featured a number of climbs deemed too steep for a big man to get over, let alone win the stage.
But Bryan McCrystal wasn’t having any of it as he tore up the script en route to one of his best ever wins; riding out front the whole way and still having the legs to drop those fresher men who caught the ecsape in the closing stages.
He then went on to put in a stage-winning finishing surge; an excellent performance.
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