By Brian Canty
Following the success of the An Post Rás last week, the action becomes more localised this weekend when one of Ireland’s most storied cycling clubs, Blarney CC, host their annual June Bank Holiday festival of racing.
Top billing for the weekend is the Donal Crowley Memorial on Sunday afternoon where the riders (A1 to A3) will tackle eight 10 kilometre laps of the tough Blackstone Bridge circuit. The Kay Stratton Memorial, for A4 riders, should also draw a large crowd.
Last year, a star-studded line-up descended on the town for the race but it was local man Eddie Barry who took the spoils ahead of sprinters Robin Kelly and Paidi O’Brien.
Barry and Kelly rode the Rás last week and should be on the start-line come Sunday while O’Brien, a former professional with the An Post Sean Kelly team, did not ride the Ras this year because of exam commitments.
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Mick Fitzgerald (Dan Morrissey-Speedy spokes) is another who will fancy his chances while from the local club, Brendan McLoughlin is the man to watch if the race does come down to a sprint.
In the Kay Stratton, it really is a lottery but Blarney have plenty contenders here with the likes of Kieran Crean and Finbarr O’Callaghan, the latter having finished runner-up last year.
Sign-on for both races is at Blarney GAA club from 10am.
There is also a full programme of underage racing with the U12’s to U16’s all catered for. Racing starts at 12 noon and again, sign-on is from the GAA club.
Saturday night will see the town come to a standstill for the hugely popular Osborne Butchers Village criterium starting at 7.30pm.
The race is 50 minutes plus five laps of a 1.5 kilometre loop which will also include intermittent primes. There are no one day licences available for this and sign-on is from 6pm.
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