With a stage win, the climbers' jersey and 2nd overall at the Gorey, Irish team selection can't be too far away for Darragh O'Mahony (Photo: Sean Rowe)
By Jessica Lamb
Gorey Three Day king of the Hills Darragh O'Mahony will test his Irish team potential with yellow jersey Michael O'Loughlin at the Junior Tour of the Mendips in the UK this weekend.
The Munster rider pushed himself at Gorey to catch the eye of Cycling Ireland selectors and is now looking forward to racing with junior team leader O'Loughlin as guests with Cork Giant.
"Hopefully we can do well because it’s a good hilly race,” he said of the UK assignment in less than a week.
“Michael is going over there as well and Simon Tuomey, Barra Harrison, Robert O’Leary.
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“It’s the Cork Giant team and myself and Michael are guesting; it’s a good team so hopefully we can go well.”
The Junior Tour of the Mendips is a two-day, two-stage race based in Bristol.
O'Mahony, third in line, on his way to 3rd in the Lacey Cup on the opening day of the season. He was one of just a couple of juniors caught by eventual winner Sean McKenna, leading (Photo: Maura Lynch Moriarty)
O’Mahony won a fantastic opening stage at the Gorey, where he and O’Loughlin pulled away from everyone else to set up a two-up sprint won by the O’Leary Stone Kanturk man riding for Team Munster.
O’Mahony had already shown his worth long before that win, getting victory in Dungarvan the weekend before last to add to a number of strong podium placings since the start of the season.
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And having made a menace of himself in recent months, the next step cannot be too far away.
"I’d love to make the Irish team,” he said
“I sent away my application form at the start of the year and I hope I can get on it for the races this year.
O'Mahony says the influence of his club has been key. And he points out that a huge number of riders who have done well at home and abroad passed through O'Leary Stone Kanturk at some stage (Photo: Sean Rowe)
"I won the race in Dungarvan last week so I knew my legs were good coming into the race,” he said of the three-day four-stage encounter over Easter.
“I tried to show how my form was this weekend and hopefully Frank (O’Leary, Irish junior team manager) and the others might be able to see my potential and maybe I can get a place on the team."
Coming from the O’Leary Stone Kanturk set up, which produces young riders with great potential year in, year out; O’Mahony was emphatic when it came to describing how the club, and especially coach Dan Curtin, has helped him.
"It’s brilliant," he said.
"Dan has got an experienced head. Any time you go back to the car he knows exactly how the race is going to pan out, he knows how you’ll do and he’s just got a good head.
"He comes out training with us two or three times a week. The majority of the Irish riders who have done well on the continent or in Ireland have come through Kanturk at some stage so that’s good to know."
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