Looking back on the domestic road season that's just drawn to a close, there is no shortage of highlights. Some of our home-based riders put in some absolutely terrific rides throughout the season, giving us plenty to report here on stickybottle.
We've decided to tip our hat to just some of those who made the season what it was. We bring you 10 rides by home-based riders that will linger long in our memory.
This list is not intended to be the definitive top 10 of the best performances this year.
Some of the riders listed here won bigger races this year than we've documented below. And some of those riders who are not featured scored some great wins; in some cases taking multiple victories.
But these were 10 of the best domestic rides that lodged in our memories. (Photo: Rás Mumhan 2014 by George Doyle)
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1. Damien Shaw wins the Lacey Cup
The Mullingar-based fireman started the season in absolutely blistering fashion in Tralee when he annihilated a record field of over 220 riders, despite starting with the scratch group.
Initially, he had UCD CC’s Anto Walsh for company when bridging across to the A2 and A3 groups. But despite Walsh dropping back, Shaw pressed on alone to the finish, regularly tipping speeds of 50kph on the run-in for home.
It was a sign of things to come for the Aquablue man. (Photo: Stephen McMahon - Sportsfile)
2. Mark Dowling, Rás Mumhan victory
The DID Dunboyne man was less than optimistic going into the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan. He kept his powder dry on Friday’s opener but started to show signs of his intent when he got into a very tasty move on day two, one where he moved right up into contention overall.
On Sunday’s 142-kilometre leg breaker around Waterville, Dowling again got in the move that mattered. That break, which featured stage winner Paidi O’Brien (Osbourne Meats-Edge Sports Shop), runner-up Eugene Moriarty (DID Electrical) and Paddy Clarke (Liquidworx-Fitscience) went all the way to the line and he was second overall by the finish.
On Monday Dowling applied the finishing touches when he attacked the main bunch with six of the 10 laps of the town of Killorglin to go and pulled a group clear – one that pulled out enough time to usurp overnight race leader Paddy Clarke.
Fast forward three months and he did the same at the Suir Valley Three Day; waiting and waiting until the final kilometres of the final day before attacking and dropping those closest to him on GC. (Photo: Pat Doherty)
3. Michael O’Loughlin, Wexford Two Day
The near end-of-season two-day promoted by the Wexford Wheelers club threw up a surprise when first-year junior Michael O’Loughlin stole the glory on the final day.
Having finished 12th on the opening stage, 54 seconds behind stage winner Greg Swinand of UCD, O’Loughlin then took sixth in the evening hill climb time trial on stage two.
Despite moving himself up to seventh overall and cutting his deficit to 41 seconds going into the final stage, not many would have factored the Carrick-On-Suir teenager into the equation when trying to predict the final outcome.
Still, he managed to get up the road in a 10-man move with both Damien Shaw (Aquablue) and Sean McKenna (UCD), who were higher up the overall standings so it seemed the race would come down to a two-man battle.
But O’Loughlin clipped off the front with 12km remaining and drove it to the line, winning by one second from McKenna. (Photo: Sean Rowe)
4.Greg Swinand annihilates field at Deenside Cup in Kilkenny
He’s had several wins this year but few were as impressive as this one when the big man from Canada attacked his breakaway companions and soloed to a marvellous win.
One of those in the break, Martin O’Loughlin (Iverk Produce Carrick Wheelers), commented afterwards: “It was phenomenal what Greg did. He took 2:20 out of Damien Shaw, John Mason and myself going into a headwind in 8km.
"We got a 50 seconds time gap going onto the last lap and it was 3:10 at the roundabout 8km later." Enough said.
5. Paidi O’Brien outfoxes Aquablue trio for Rás Luimni win
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The Pocket Rocket Paidi O’Brien has proven he can win on any kind of terrain and in Limerick, in early March, he proved his class when totally outnumbered approaching the line.
Aquablue had two men in the top three, three in the top five and four in the top eight but it was O’Brien who edged out Sean Lacey (2nd), Robin Kelly (3rd) and Keith Gater (5th) in the run-in to the finish.
6. Fiona Meade takes women’s road race crown
She’s had an amazing career to date but taking the national title in a sprint from a reduced group gave the Cork-based physiotherapist the proudest moment she’s ever had on two wheels.
Meade played it perfectly on a warm day in Westmeath last month when she outsprinted Olivia Dillon (Colavita Fine Cooking) and Louise Moriarty (Look Mum No Hands) to the line at the end of a thrilling race. (Photo by JimmyMcElroy.com)
7. Eddie Dunbar, National Junior Championships
It was billed as a head-to-head between Eddie Dunbar and Michael O’Loughlin for the national junior road race title from a long way out and both riders served notice of their intent with bronze and silver medals, respectively, in the time-trial 24 hours previous.
As expected, the road race was to be a wearing down process. And come the last lap it was the O’Leary’s Stone Kanturk man and the Standard Life Nicolas Roche Performance Team rider slugging it out at the head of affairs.
The latter opened up the sprint but Dunbar dug deep to take a very special and emotional win. (Photo: John Coleman – Dc Images)
8. Ryan Reilly, Ulster Road Championships
The Foyle CC man (leading above) really emerged as a classy rider in 2014 and is definitely one to watch out for in 2015 as he heads into his final year as a junior.
The win that catapulted him into the spotlight was at the Ulster Championships when he attacked late and soloed to a fine victory ahead of established elite riders like Conor Murphy (Caldwell Cycles) and Ronan McLaughlin (Dig Deep Coaching).
He also won the Tour of the Mournes in April – a not insignificant race of 72 miles – as well as the Phoenix GP and the CicliSport GP for what was something of a breakout season for him. (Photo: Toby Watson)
9. Colm Cassidy's silver in Elite TT Championships
Long regarded as one of the best men against the clock in the country, Colm Cassidy landed the big result many knew he was capable of at the National Championships.
The UCD CC man, who went close to what would have been a sensational win at the Suir Valley Three-Day, took the silver medal at the nationals in late June, only being beaten in the elite category by defending champion Michael Hutchinson.
And Cassidy underlined his standing as the best time trial rider on the domestic scene a month later by clocking a blistering time of 19mins 22secs for the Danny O’Shea 10 Mile Memorial TT.
In doing so he set a new event record, shaving 25 seconds off former world track champion Martyn Irvine’s marker set last year. (Photo: Pawel Sadowski – Shutterstills.com)
10. Fraser Duncan's magic Tour of the North
It wasn’t one performance, but three – in consecutive days - that put Duncan right up there with the best we’ve seen this year.
The Northern CC-Dave Kane Cycles man won the opener from James Gullen (Velosure Giordana) in a two-up sprint to the line.
And though he would lose the yellow jersey in the following day's time trial he would make up for it with two more sprint victories.
It was all the more impressive when he admitted afterwards that he’d never won in a bunch sprint before. Duncan won more races in Ireland than anyway else this year and was rewarded for that with a place on the Northern Ireland Commonwealth Games team. (This photo by Marian Lamb of Cycling Ulster and homepage photo by George Doyle)
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