The Junior Tour on the roads of Co Mayo last year; 2012 promises to be another great year
The 35th Junior Tour of Ireland takes place this week based in the town of Castlebar, Co Mayo. Ahead of the opening time trial tomorrow, Tuesday, here’s a profile for you of the home contenders.
Irish National Team
The National Team is led by second-year junior Ryan Mullen, who rode the World Championships TT and road race in Copenhagen last year. He is the current TT and road race junior champion. He’s a real powerhouse and probably has a realistic chance of a medal in the World TT Championships this year.
He has been rewriting the TT record books in Ireland and the UK – where he is based – in recent weeks and will be the man to beat in the prologue.
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Cormac Clarke is another second-year junior who recently returned to top form after an horrific crash at the Tour of the North earlier in the year. He triumphed in the Donegal Thee Day last month and was runner up at the Newry Three Day the weekend before last.
The final two members of the team are first year juniors Dylan Foley from St Finbarr's and Sean Hahessy from Iverk Produce Carrick Wheelers. Foley has a huge engine and has already been a winner in A3 races this year. Hahessy has really come to the fore this season and won the A3 Tommy Sheehan race earlier in the year.
Leinster Riders
Leinster brings a total of fourteen riders to the race this year, made up of three full teams plus two newcomers from Naas. The Cycling Leinster team has Shaun Rigley returning to the event this year after crashing out in 2011. He rode strongly in the Tour of Ulster earlier in the season and comes to the race from the national squad training camp.
Danny Bruton is probably the most improved junior in the country this season, showing consistency all year which culminated in victory at the A3 race in Stamullen. Ciaran Campbell is a really good sprinter and notched up an A3 race win in Roscommon last month. Aidan Wall completes the team and also has a big engine.
The Ultimate Sports team is led by Craig Arrigan who has made a real return to form this year. Jack Whelan, Sean McKenna and David Fitzsimons are all good riders and complete the team.
The Eurocycles team has Rob Deegan on board together with James Lynch, Fionn Sheridan and Jordan Flood.
Ulster Riders
The squad from Ulster looks strong. Matthew Doyle from Derry is a really strong lad who never throws in the towel. Daniel Stewart also comes to the race from the national squad camp. Conor McAteer is another young rider with a good gallop and Ian Ingles has a point to prove after riding the Gorey Three Day in 2011 on the National Team.
Munster Riders
Cian Dwyer is a real livewire type of rider and he competed in the Youth Tour last year on the Irish team. David McCarthy from the cycling mad town of Fermoy has shown good form this year and has raced briefly abroad in recent weeks. Francie Sheridan is a second-year junior and brings some experience to the squad, which features some relatively new names.
Connacht Riders
Castlebar is fielding a club team this year on home roads that will be led by Liam Corcoran, the U15 National Road Race Champion of 2010. Thomas Fallon will also be on the start line and is probably unlucky not to get a place on the national team after some great wins this year. Jason Prendergast also competes and was a member of the Junior Development Team in Gorey at Easter. His older brother Charles was a double stage winner in previous editions of this race.
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There are a few individual Irish riders also expected in the line up and they are all wished well as they attempt to keep the title at home
Full stage details
July 10th Stage 1: Castlebar 7km TT
The opening stage is a flat 7km TT starting at Ross Stores on the Pontoon Rd and finishing on the outskirts of Castlebar.
July 11th Stage 2: Westport – Westport 105km
Stage 2 is sponsored by the IVCA and starts and finishes in Westport. Some 105km in length, the riders will travel from Westport to Louisberg, taking in some magnificent scenery on the road to Delphi and Leenane. The first of the stage’s climbs is a cat 3 after 52.2km with the next climb, a cat 2, crested at the 59.8km mark. There then follows the cat 1 climb of Maam Trasna at 68.5km, before the riders head back in towards the finish in Westport.
July 12th Stage 3: Castlebar – Ballycastle 113.5km
Stage 3 starts from Race HQ at Lough Lannagh Holiday Village in Castlebar. The riders will race 113.5km around the North Mayo coast. They face two cat 2 climbs – at 99.6km and 104.9km – before the hilltop finish up the cat 2 climb at Ballycastle.
July 13th Stage 4: Mulranny – Achill Island – Mulranny 98km
Stage 4 starts in Mulranny and takes the riders 98km around the lumpy and exposed roads of the Wild West that is Achill. The riders will face a very tough stage hugging the Atlantic coast. The first KOH is a cat 2 after 38.4km followed by a cat 3 at 51km. There is another cat 3 climb crested after 63km followed the cat 1 climb at Minaun, which is crested at the 64.9km mark. The riders then head back into the finish outside Nevins Restaurant between Newport and Mulranny.
July 14th Stage 5: Castlebar – Castlebar 88.3km
Stage 5 starts in Castlebar and finishes in the Mayo town after the riders have done an 88.3km loop. Although there are only two moderate climbs during the stage – a cat 2 and a cat 3 after 32km and 37km respectively – the heavy Mayo roads will make for hard racing. The riders will already have four days hard racing in their legs and those who have prepared best may really come into their own.
July 15th Stage 6: Castlebar – Windy Gap 106.9km
Stage 6 starts in Castlebar, and is now longer than previous editions. The stage is largely the same as 2011, only with a sting in the tail. Once at the top of the Windy Gap the riders will descend to Castlebar, back out to Pontoon and climb the Gap again to finish at the summit after that second passage. The race could be won or lost on the very last day.
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