The Big Kahuna: Bryan McCrystal labours upwards, but he's made it look pretty easy many times this year and he leads the National Road Series half way through (Photo with thanks to Gerry Murray)
At the midway point of Cycling Ireland’s National Road Series Bryan McCrystal is top of the leaderboard, 70 points clear of Aquablue’s Sean Lacey in second.
McCrystal, riding for Team ASEA, is on 232 points after eight rounds of the series, with over half his tally coming from his wins in the Wallace Caldwell Memorial and the Davis Cup.
The Dundalk man is the only rider to have won two events of the relaunched series and interestingly, there are seven different winners from eight races.
Aquablue man Lacey is next on 162 points, though he has ridden one less event than the leader.
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Eoin Morton is in great form and has set himself up nicely for an assault on the top of the leaderboard of the National Road Series (Photo: Ramsey Cardy - Sportsfile)
The Tralee rider hasn’t won a race yet this year but he’s scored high points in both Rás Luimní and the Davis Cup.
Both McCrystal and Lacey have raced in three of the four provinces, meaning they’ve satisfied the criteria in terms of qualifying for a placing in the final standings.
In third is UCD CC man Eoin Morton on 155 points; his runner-up place at the Gas Networks Ireland-VisitNenagh Classic earning him 57 points to bring him back into contention.
Flying the flag for Connacht is Derek Joyce in fourth; the Galway Bay CC man currently enjoying a good spell of form.
Derek Joyce is flying the flag highest for Connacht so far; he is in 4th place and looks good for a top overall spot (Photo: Pawel Sadowski – Shutterstills.com)
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He’s on 141 points after taking 41 points in the T Bourke Memorial in Mayo the weekend before last.
Cycling Ireland’s top-ranked rider Páidí O’Brien (Osbourne Meats-McCarthy Cycles) has leapt up the standings and he’s now fifth on 130 points from three events.
He must still race in Ulster or Connacht for his points to be eligible, however.
Criteria states that for points to count, riders must race in three of the four provinces.
Sean Lacey won the Classic League the last time it was held, and he is in a great position to challenge for the win in its reincarnated format; the National Road Series (Photo: Stephen McMahon - Sportsfile)
Patrick Clarke (Fitscience) – 129, Greg Swinand (Aquablue) - 123, Chris Reilly (Team ASEA) - 123, David Brennan (Castlebar CC) – 119, Fraser Duncan (Team ASEA) -117, Mark Dowling (DID Electrical Dunboyne) - 115, Simon Ryan (Mego Racing Team) – 116 and John Hodge (Dungarvan CC) – 106 are riders who have all accumulated over 100 points.
Interestingly, man of the season Sean McKenna (Aquablue) is well down the standings on 76 points, his tally coming from the Des Hanlon Memorial where he took seventh and the Gas Networks-Ireland- VisitNenagh Classic where he got 10th.
The series is comprised of 16 events, so there’s still plenty racing left to do…and you can bet on McKenna mounting a surge yet.
Click here for the full updated list.
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