Liam O'Brien goes into this year's edition as one of the pre-race favourites hoping to add to Ireland's big history in the event (Photo: Fabiem Lenfant)
No fewer than six Irish riders will start Ronde d'Isard (2.2U) on Wednesday in France, including last year's runner-up, and one of the pre-race favourites, Liam O'Brien (Lidl Trek Future Racing).
And the Irishmen in this year's edition need to be on their toes as the racing opens with a cat 2 climb, very shortly after the start. The stage 1 finish to Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, after 162km of racing, is also a 1.7km climb, averaging seven per cent, meaning this is an important stage.
After that, the big day is on Friday's stage 3, with a brutal finish on the HC climb of Col de Pailhères. It is the fourth climb in a row, with very little descending in between, of the 169km stage.
There will also be very little joking in the peloton on Sunday, on the concluding stage 5; some 162km from Lavelanet to Saint-Girons, featuring four cat 1 ascents.
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This is definitely Liam O'Brien territory, if his legs are where he needs them to be, of course. And while the 21-year-old Cork rider is already assured a pro contract based on his performances in recent years, a big result would really confirm his progress.
However, there are also other Irish riders in this race, all in the crucial development phase of their careers. Some are riding this event for experience, while others are perhaps looking for more.
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Cal Tutty is a talent rider and he lines out for Velo Performance, hoping for more luck than he had in Greece a few months ago (Photo: ACM)
The Velo Performance team, which has been one of the stories of the season so far in Irish cycling, goes into this race with riders who have been exposed to plenty of European racing as well as others newer to the scene.
Cal Tutty, Josh Callaly, Curtis Neill, Tom Huelin and Isaac Burman are the Irish riders in action for the team, along with Britain's Samuel Nisbet, who is guesting for them.
Tutty, a talented rider, had to cut short his racing block in Greece at the start of the year due to illness and will hope for better luck. Callaly and Neill both took career-best results at Dornan Rás Mumhan over the Easter weekend, when they won stages.
Neill in particular was a revelation at Rás Mumhan, winning on the Kerryman's Table finish. They will all look to gain experience, but also get into the moves if they can.
This is a race where the Irish have in the past begun to make their names. Apart from O'Brien's ride last year - 2nd overall and 2nd on a stage - Ben Healy won the final stage of the race when riding for Trinity Racing back in 2020.
Jamie Meehan, now riding for Cofidis, was 13th overall two years ago; one of the first results that began to indicate his international potential.
In 2007, Dan Martin was 4th overall, 2nd on two stages, and won the climbers' competition. Philip Deignan won two stages and the overall in 2004.
