Mark Dowling; a rider who has ridden very well in previous years and been in the hunt at the end of some of the hardest stages. He was 4th on the final stage last year (Photos with thanks to Sean Rowe, Toby Watson, Stephen McMahon)
With several foreign national teams and Continental squads from abroad, what chances do the Irish riders have in this Rás? Can they truly compete with the pros?
Stickybottle believes they can; many capable of doing very strong rides and some in contention for stage victory, and maybe more.
It is a race that has become increasingly difficult for Irish riders to gain results in as it has grown. But the Rás serves up a big performance by amateurs just about often enough to keep the dream alive.
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Most recent in the memory, of course, in Eoin Morton’s win on stage 2 in 2016.
The UCD-FitzCycles.ie man got clear with fellow Irish amateur Bryan McCrystal (Asea-Wheelworx).
They made it all the way into Charleville where Morton won, with McCrystal runner-up. And Morton was also 3rd on another stage, into Clonakilty three days later.
His performances answer the question that is asked every year; can the Irish lads still compete to win?
Clearly it is hard against professional riders. But with good legs and a bit of luck, it can be done.
And there are plenty of Irish riders – full-time on their bikes and amateurs with day jobs – who will look to emulate Morton this year.
While a stage win is the Holy Grail for the Irishmen, a big performance up the road is not overlooked by the sport. It means a lot at this level.
So what Irish riders are in with a chance of winning, or riding really well this week?
The most obvious place to start is with the Team Ireland line-up; all of them full-time except U23 international Darnell Moore.
Marc Potts wears No 1 on his back going into eight days of racing. He has come off a track season; with Ireland and more recently Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Games.
Morton wins big in 2016. Moore; a young rider getting better every year. Potts; on his way to criterium gold last season.
A Rás stage win would be a very valuable next step in the progression of this Tokyo 2020 Olympic hopeful.
He has the engine and the turn of speed. Give him a gap of even a few seconds in the closing kilometres and he will be a hard man to catch.
Next on the list, and perhaps the Irish rider most likely to win a stage this year, is Robbie McCarthy.
He took the opening stage in 2014; as a 21-year-old Australian international riding for An Post-Chainreaction.
Since then he has taken two years away from racing, come back and declared for Ireland; the country of his birth.
He was 5th in a stage at the recent Tour de Yorkshire riding for his trade team; UK Continental outfit JLT-Condor.
This race is the first time he will ride for Ireland. If McCarthy gets a clear run at the line, especially in the early stages, he can let rip with that winning kick of his and take a win for Ireland.
The younger riders on the team are all U23s; Jake Gray, James Curry and Darnell Moore.
Gray and Curry are riding in France and are making great progress. Moore is now one of the very best riders in the country.
Look for them to be in the breakaways; from which anything is possible for all three.
Next up is the three Paddies in the Holdsworth Pro Cycling team on this race. Damien Shaw, Sean McKenna and Conn McDunphy are three quality riders.
McDunphy’s progress in the sport has been fantastic in recent seasons; riding half a season with Raleigh GAC last year and now having moved to what is a new Continental team.
His former club Lucan CRC has put in a huge development effort in recent years and they are really reaping the benefits now with lots of riders; McDunphy just one of those.
The three Holdsworth Pro Cycling men in this Rás; Shaw, McKenna, McDunphy.
McDunphy recently took a great stage win at the Tour of Ulster but then missed the breakaway the following day.
He can definitely be in the shake-up for a shot at stage victory. Shaw and McKenna are probably more dangerous in that regard; being older and more established.
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Shaw’s preparation this year has been interrupted with injury. And while he is something of an unknown quantity this time around, he is definitely a stage win prospect.
He finished the recent Lincoln GP, which suggests he is physically coming around. He has a big diesel engine and is the kind of rider who can come into his own on this race as it goes on.
He’s been in the top five no fewer than five times on Rás stages; runner-up on stages 6 and 7 in 2015 and 3rd on stage 8.
Once he stays fit and healthy after his recent bad luck he is a man to watch.
McKenna has already won races this year, including the Des Hanlon, one of Ireland’s hardest races.
He was selected for the elite road race at the Worlds last year and rode in the breakaway. In the Rás he is capable of getting in the breakaways, but making it all the way this time.
In Team Leinster; Mark Dowling, Chris Reilly and Fintan Ryan can all do very good rides.
Dowling is a former national criterium champion and is also a top climber; his 4th place on the final stage last year a combination of those abilities.
He comes into this year’s race more under the radar than before. And while he is very talented and could get a stage win from the right breakaway, time will tell how well prepared he is this season compared to past editions.
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Chris Reilly is a very strong rider and will look to make some key breakaways and take what he can from them.
Of all of the Irish riders in the race, Fintan Ryan is the one who can pull off the biggest surprise.
He is an international track rider of note. But he can also move on the road. If he were to be sprinting for victory, don’t be surprised if he takes a huge result.
The Antrim Velo Cafe Magasin team has two riders well worth running the rule over; Xeno Young and Lindsay Watson.
Young is in his first year out of the juniors but is already a senior track international. He has silver medals, in the individual pursuit, from last year’s junior Europeans and Worlds.
He is a man for the years ahead. But if he could make some breakaways this year, in what will be a Rás to learn, he can be happy with that.
Watson is absolutely flying this year. He has the legs to get up the road and will have no fear; a great combination for a big result in the Rás, just ask Eoin Morton.
Dermot Trulock is back riding for his club Lucan CRC after a stint with Holdsworth Pro Cycling.
Along with former Lucan man, Conn McDunphy, he rode very well at Rás Mumhan over Easter on the Irish team.
He will go into this race perhaps with a point to prove and has the legs to impress.
The young guns, what can they do? Stenson, Corkery, Ryan.
Another who can do very well is young Adam Stenson. He was the man of the latter part of last season and is now riding in Switzerland.
He had injury problems early last year but came storming back to such an extent he was selected for the U23 Worlds.
He rides for Dublin Team Gerard DHL this week; a tidy rider who can do damage and withstand the pros in full flight.
Conor McCann has been going very well this season and was selected onto the national team for Rás Mumhan. He rides for Tipperary Collins Cycle Centre in this Rás.
He will expect a good performance from himself this week after having shown very good form this season.
Perhaps the strongest ‘county’ team in this race is Viner-Caremark-Pactimo; it’s riders having won some of the biggest races in the country.
They field five strong riders and would dearly love a stage win. The riders looked to to deliver are Matteo Cigala, Ronan McLaughlin, Conor Hennebry, Aaron Kearney and Sean Hahessy.
Cigala, McLaughlin and Hennebry have all ridden for Continental teams in the past.
Hahessy has a huge engine and Kearney is a fine young talent. They are a very experienced and strong mix; keep an eye out for them.
Others in the Rás who have proven their worth many times are: Eoin O’Connell (Cork Blarney RC), Philip Lavery and James Davenport (Cork STRATA 3 –VeloRevolution), Paidi O’Brien and Dillon Corkery (Dublin Team Gerard DHL) and Richard Maes and Conor Kissane (Kerry Killarney).
And there are plenty of other riders who drive the breakaways and win races on the home scene.
And, like the aforementioned group, they will go into this race with every right to believe they can step up and do a ride at this level.
Among those are: Cathal Moynihan (Kerry Tralee Manor West), Cian Delaney (Louth Glen Dimplex), Charlie Prendergast (Mayo Castlebar Unit 7) and Jamie Blanchfield and Cathal Purcell (Panduit Carrick).
We wish well to all the men of the Rás.
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