Daire Feeley, far left, attacks during last year's Rás Maigh Eo; he has to be a hot favourite this weekend (Photo: Pawel Sadowski – Shutterstills.com)
By Brian Canty
The first big stage race of the 2015 calendar takes place in the west this weekend with Westport Covey Wheelers hosting the ever popular Rás Maigh Eo.
There’s a field of 130 down to start with riders coming from all over the country to take part.
The race is open to A2, A3, junior and female riders only, though there is a separate one-day race for A4s in Westport on Sunday.
The A2-A3 stage race consists of three stages; a 90km road race on Saturday followed by an 8km time trial on Sunday morning and another 90km road stage on Sunday afternoon.
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A very strong Sunday morning time trial ride will be required by those with designs on overall victory. Above, Jason Prendergast on his way to winning last year's test (Photo: Pawel Sadowski – Shutterstills.com)
The big favourite has to be the in-form Daire Feeley who will lead a strong iTap squad.
The former Irish junior international was unlucky last year when he hit the deck overtaking a car on the technical run into the finish on stage 1.
But he still managed to win the white jersey and having ridden very well against the elites in a number of breakaways in recent weeks, his sights will be firmly set on yellow this weekend.
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Simon Tuomey from Cork Giant racing team will give him some headaches and should mount a considerable challenge.
The terrain in Mayo can be as unforgiving for bike racing as it is stunning on the eye (Photo: Pawel Sadowski – Shutterstills.com)
Like Feeley, Tuomey has made some select breakaways in recent weeks but has been forced to settle for the runner-up spot and is chasing his first win of the year this weekend.
As well as stage wins, the yellow jersey and white junior jersey, also up for grabs are sprinters' and climbers' jerseys.
Former Westport Covey rider and Irish international triathlete Con Doherty should challenge for the overall too, as will Tony Bourke (Galway Bay CC) and a host of others.
The latter will be a firm favourite for the Credit Union-sponsored Mickey Palmer TT on Sunday morning.
March 14th & 15th: Rás Maigh Eo
Westport, Co Mayo
Promoted by Westport Covey Wheelers
- Evan Donoghue AAA Cycling Team
- Matthew McKinley AAA Cycling Team
- Neil McBride AAA Cycling Team
- Michael Brennan AAA Cycling Team
- McBride Peter AAA Cycling Team
- Jason Walsh Ballina CC
- David Walsh Ballina CC
- Peter Kilgallen Ballina CC
- Sean MC Inerney Burren Cycling Club
- Declan Hanrahan Carrick Wheelers
- David McGrath Castlebar CC
- Liam Corcoran Castlebar CC
- David Walshe Castlebar CC
- Peter Tuohy Castlebar CC
- Karl Benson Castlebar CC
- Fitzpatrick John CKR Cycling Club
- Simon Tuomey Cork Giant Race Team
- Robert O'Leary Cork Giant Race Team
- Stephen Murphy Cunga CC
- Stephen Finnegan Eire Og CC
- Enda O'Halloran Eire Og CC
- Michael Somers Eire Og CC
- Joseph Mulleady Eire Og CC
- Paul Doherty Errigal CC
- Ciaran Harkin Errigal CC
- Adam Rankin Errigal CC
- Austin Lee Errigal CC
- Conor Dabell Errigal CC
- Alan Cunningham Galway Bay CC
- Sean O'Connor Galway Bay CC
- Ronan O'Flynn Galway Bay CC
- Ben Vahey Galway Bay CC
- Ronan Forde Galway Bay CC
- Tony Bourke Galway Bay CC
- Martin Divilly Galway Bay CC
- Donal Mahon Galway Bay CC
- Ruaidhri Geraghty Galway Bay CC
- Damien O'Farrell GARDA
- Joe Christian Gorey CC
- Michael Doherty Inishowen wheelers
- Flor O Mahony Killorglin CC
- Brendan O'Sullivan Killorglin CC
- Kieran McGrory Lakeland cc
- Henry Cooke LCC
- Eoin O donoghue Limerick
- paul dunne Liquidworx Fitscience
- Derek Bowyer Liquidworx Fitscience
- Brendan Ryder Liquidworx Fitscience
- Colin Reynolds Liquidworx Fitscience
- Leo Temple Longford CRC
- Shane Quinn Longford CRC
- Michael Mullin Longford CRC
- Cian Sutcliffe Lucan CRC
- Dermot White Lucan CRC
- Sean Flynn Lucan CRC
- Ronan Killeen Lucan CRC
- Ger Stephenson Lucan CRC
- John Priest Lucan CRC
- Keogh Andrew Lucan CRC
- Mark Nicholls Lucan CRC
- Conn McDunphy Lucan CRC
- Eugene Murtagh Lucan CRC
- Stephen Bryan Lucan CRC
- Ross Campbell Grogan Lucan CRC
- Martin McNamara Lucan CRC
- Michael leonard Lucan CRC
- John Holland McNally Swords CC
- Brendon Marsh N3 Racing
- Ronan Fitzpatrick N3 Racing
- Kevin Sherlock Nenagh C.C.
- Eoin Woolley Nenagh CC
- Kenneth Kennedy Nenagh CC
- Shane Scully Nenagh CC
- Matthew Kennedy Nenagh CC
- Enda Molony northwest mtb
- Caimin Muldoon NRPT
- Jamie Busher Orwell Wheelers CC
- Aidan Collins Orwell Wheelers CC
- Neal Hudson Orwell Wheelers CC
- Liam Rowsome Orwell Wheelers CC
- Diarmuid Collins Orwell Wheelers CC
- Dick O'Brien Orwell Wheelers CC
- Brian McArdle Orwell Wheelers CC
- Tom Blennerhassett Orwell Wheelers CC
- Michael Doyle Rossbury Racing
- Greg Dempsey Rossbury Racing
- David Whitty Rossbury Racing
- Patsy McCaffery Rossbury Racing
- Brian Cullen Rossbury Racing
- Nick Coughlan Rossbury Racing
- Richard Gribbons Seven Springs
- Kevin McGinley Seven springs cc
- Kevin Martin Shannonside CC
- Daniel Whiting St Finbarr's CC
- John Malone St Tiernans CC
- Fergal May St Tiernans CC
- John McGettigan St Tiernans CC
- Barry Walsh St Tiernans CC
- Murt Rice Sundrive Track Team
- Matthew Mc Cullagh Sundrive Track Team
- Thomas O'Brien Sundrive Track Team
- Jordan McGinley Team iTap
- Daire Feeley Team iTap
- Darragh Bailey Team iTap
- David Brody Team iTap
- Gilmore Curtis Team iTap
- Paul O Connell Tipp wheelers
- Con Doherty UCD CC
- Mikey Moriarty UCD CC
- Jamie Noone UCD CC
- Ferrari Colm UCD CC
- Máire Claffey UCD CC
- John Mahon Unattached
- Michael Devins Unattached
- Quigley Mark Western Lakes CC
- Barry Holian Western Lakes CC
- Padraic Hughes Western Lakes CC
- John J flaherty Western Lakes CC
- janis blinovs Western Lakes CC
- Michael Flynn Westport Covey Wheelers
- Patjoe O Connell Westport Covey Wheelers
- Keith Hastings Westport Covey Wheelers
- Gerard Corcoran Westport Covey Wheelers
- Keith O Connell Westport Covey Wheelers
- Tom Bourke Westport Covey Wheelers
- Aichlinn O'Reeilly Westport Covey Wheelers
- Paraic Conway Westport Covey Wheelers
- Richard Meaney Westport Covey Wheelers
- James McGreevy Westport Covey Wheelers
- Rob Cummins Wheelworx
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