He won’t thank us for building him up but Ryan Sherlock is impossible to ignore as a strong contender for Sunday's Des Hanlon Memorial. If he brings his A-game to the table few will be able to live with him (Photo: Martine Verfaillie)
By Brian Canty
Twice a winner of the Des Hanlon Memorial, Rory Wyley says the victor in Sunday’s showdown will need to be aggressive from the outset and not wait until the latter stages to make a move.
The Carrick Wheelers man was one of the most feared riders in his day and beat luminaries like Ciarán Power, Brian Kenneally and Paul Griffin, amongst others, in 2004 and 2005 respectively.
And he offers this advice to anyone with designs on winning this weekend: “If you’re chasing the race it will be very, very difficult.”
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As to where the race will be won and lost, Wyley pinpoints the section where the race kicks down left before Castlecomer, while the drag up towards the next left turn is no less important.
“It’s not the type of race where you can sit in and take a chance that going out on the last lap it will all be together,” he said.
Rory Wyley, leading, feels Sean McKenna is the man to beat on Sunday but believes it’ll be a very open race (Photo: John Coleman)
“You need to be in the front. If you’re chasing the race it will be very, very difficult so you need to be right up there towards the sharp end of it.”
The main event is 160 kilometres long and as recently as 2013 the winning break was gone from the gun.
Wyley believes riders need to be vigilant to such attacks but he said he made his winning moves when the race was at its most difficult slightly later on.
“For me that was turning left before Castlecomer but equally important is where you turn left after that and the other section where you have the cross on your left-hand side (the Butts); it’s the false drag over the top of the hill which often proves decisive.”
Predicting a winner isn’t easy but Wyley has really stuck his neck out and plumped for the man of the moment, Sean McKenna.
“He’s obviously motoring and the hills will suit him,” was his rationale for that choice.
You just cannot take your eyes off Sean Lacey for one minute in a race. The 2013 winner is a fabulous rider and you can bet on him being in the break.
McKenna won’t have it easy but he’s fortunate in that he has a super strong Aqua Blue team and they’ll travel in force.
Cathal Moynihan can definitely contend and the aforementioned Lacey is never far away from the action.
Anthony Walsh makes no secret of his fondness for the race while Colm Cassidy hardly falls into the dark horse category.
Greg Swinand is a former winner and knows how to read a race better than most. Mark Dowling has had a low key start to the season and has only ridden one race but can definitely feature if he starts.
It’ll be a fascinating battle with the other big heavyweight team in Irish cycling at the moment, Team ASEA.
In their ranks is the defending champion, Bryan McCrystal, and how he’d love to become one of just three riders to defend the title.
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Bryan McCrystal, leading, is unstoppable when on top form and is the defending champion on Sunday (Photo: Stephen McMahon - Sportsfile)
Damien Shaw will almost certainly be in the mix and his engine, combined with the speed work he’s done on the track lately, will stand to him.
Chris Reilly is coming into form and pushed McKenna very close in Summerhill last Tuesday, while Roger Aiken – if he rides - can never be overlooked. Nor can Fraser Duncan.
Páidi O’Brien (Osbourne Meats-McCarthy Cycles) has never won the race but has been in or around the top five more times than he cares to remember. He rarely misses a move and will beat most in the gallop.
But having confessed to doing less training over the winter than previous years, will he have the stamina for it?
One rider who won’t lack in that department is Ryan Sherlock and he’s been a runner-up in the past. He loves the hilly stuff and can do amazing things when he’s in the zone.
Fitscience have a couple of bolters in Patrick Clarke and Sean Hahessy, as do UCD CC in Eoin Morton and Ian Richardson.
Magnet.ie-NRPT man Adam Stenson is already victorious this year. Can he make it number two on Sunday? (Photo: Jimmy McElroy)
The A3 race will be no less intriguing and the smart money here is on Michael O’Loughlin of Magnet.ie-NRPT.
The Irish junior international is maturing into a cracking rider and as well as having exceptional natural talent he also has a racer’s brain.
And with an army of hungry teammates in Aaron Swan, Adam Stenson, Jake Gray and Conor McCann they could do something special.
Also firmly in the mix for the A3-Junior event are the likes of Simon Tuomey (Cork Giant) and Darragh O’Mahony from the O’Leary’s Stone Knaturk team.
Niall Whelan of Laois CC should push for it as might Limerick CC’s Henry Cooke and Fergal May of St Tiernan’s CC.
Cathal Clarke winning in Summerhill on Tuesday. He is capable of winning the biggest races on the A3-Junior scene (Photo: Stephen McMahon - Sportsfile)
Cathal Clarke of Newry Wheelers is also a talented and tough competitor and is capable of winning, just as he did in Summerhill last on St Patrick's Day.
There are separate A4 and women’s races but they might be combined into one event depending on numbers.
And finally, there’s a full programme of underage races - U12, U14 andU16 - starting after the adult categories have departed.
Sign-on is from 9.30am in Graiguecullen GAA complex with the combined A1 and A2 race - 160k, 3 laps - first off at 12 noon.
They’re followed by the A3-Junior event - 120k, 2 laps - and then the remaining A4 and women’s race(s) - 80k, 1 lap. Further information is available at www.carlowcycling.ie
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