Micheal Fitzgerald will be one of the favourites in Cobh
By Brian Canty
Reigning champion Micheal Fitzgerald (Dan Morrissey-Speedy Spokes) will go to the start line as one of the pre-race favourites for Ballymore CC's Leahy Cup in Cobh on Sunday.
Fitzgerald won the race last year when he broke away with Eddie Barry (Blarney CC), Tom Shanahan (Limerick CC) Rory Wyley (Carrick Wheelers) and team mate Sean Lacey and proved the quickest on the punishing uphill finish just outside the town.
This year’s race is the same route as last year, with the A1/A2 group having to navigate their way around the 10 kilometre course 10 times before tackling the final 600 metre brutal kick up to the finish.
Fitzgerald, a native of Cobh, sat out the An Post Rás this year and has been in good form of late. The freshness he's bound to have as well as his climbing ability will see him as the undisputed man to watch.
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But Eddie Barry is a wily operator also and will aim to go one better than last year, while Fitzgerald's team mate Paidi O'Brien is another who will attract a lot of attention wherever he goes and those with designs on performing well will need to keep a close eye on him.
The A3 race will be run over six laps of the same course with Dermot Radford of Tipperary Wheelers taking the honours last year. He has since been upgraded to A2. The race is a difficult one to predict.
However, Dylan Foley (St Finbarr's) should be in the mix along with fellow junior Sean Hahessy (Iverk Produce Carrick Wheelers). Eoin Whyte (Youghal CC) is another who seems to be coming into some good form lately while Blarney's Brian O'Connell is a good man to get in the breaks and could be their best chance.
There is a full programme of racing with the A1/A2's off at 1.30pm, A3's at 1.33pm while the A4's at 1.36pm.
The underage riders are also catered for with U12, U14 and U16 races. The U12's are off at 11.40am and will cover two laps; the U14's are off at 12.05pm and will cover five laps while the U16's will do eight laps and start at 12.40pm.
Sign on is from the High Chaparel pub from 10.45am.
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