Overall winner in 2010, Adam Armstrong (leading) will be looking for a big result this weekend
The organisers of this weekend’s Tour of Ulster have just released the confirmed start list for the event, with a total of 113 riders to battle it out over four stages from Saturday to Monday.
The strongest team in the race is perhaps the UK Continental outfit NODE4 Giordana. Among its line-up is ‘P&O Ferries Tour of the North’ winner James Moss and the in-form Philip Lavery. However, Matt Higgins and Ricco Rodgers are also very good riders, meaning the men in orange will likely be the most closely marked team in the peloton this weekend.
There’s also a very handy looking selection from the Ellan Vannin Isle of Man club that features the likes of Andy Roche and Tim Kennaugh.
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However, there's no shortage of riders from the home scene who will be at least able to match the visitors and it’s our bet the race will go to an Irish man.
There’s a very strong Eurocycles line up that will almost certainly exert its influence. All of its six listed starters are capable of a very big performance, with menacing riders like Adam Armstrong, Fraser Duncan, Conor Murphy and Thomas Martin all lining out.
DID Dunboyne, Clann Eireann and Curran Racing will similarly be looking to their strength in depth to get some results, while Iverk Produce Carrick Wheelers has eight very strong riders; among them Ryan Sherlock. He usually rides for Cycleways but is riding with Carrick in the An Post Ras and so has decided to guest with them this weekend, like he did at Ras Mumhan at Easter. Stephan Halpin also rides with Carrick this weekend and will be looking for a stage win and high GC placing.
Conor McAllister from ChainReactionCycles-Vitus has been going very well of late and is one to watch. Greg Swinand (Usher IRC) may be a veteran now – and indeed sports the national vets champion’s jersey – but his third place in the Hammond Memorial in Wicklow last weekend suggests he’s coming into form and is climbing well.
And last, but certainly not least, is the Irish Development Team of Eoin McCarthy, Stephen Clancy, Ryan Mullen, Daniel Stewart and Shaun Rigley – all of whom are capable of riding very well against the elites.
It’s a very difficult task to pick out a winner from so many riders. But we think those most likely to be in the thick of it are Moss, Lavery, Sherlock and Armstrong. The DID Dunboyne boys are also capable of winning, but have not named their team yet.
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The Route
Stage one starts from Dungannon Leisure Centre on Saturday, the 5th May 2012 at approximately 11.30am, with the ceremonial flag being raised by the Lord Mayor Kenneth Reid. The stage will travel through Dungannon, Cookstown, Pomaroy, Carrickmore Ballygawley, Fintona, Sionfinn, Fivemiletown. Clogher, Augher, Aughnacloy, Eglish and finishing in Dungannon Park, at around 3.15pm, covering 88 miles.
Stage two will leave from Dungannon leisure Centre on Sunday, the 6th May 2012 at approximately 9.45am. The stage will travel through Dungannon, Cookstown, Lough Fee, Moneyneany, Ballyronan, Stewartstown, Bush Village and finishing on the Killyman Road in Dungannon at around 12.30pm ,covering sixty six miles.
Stage three is a short time trail of two miles, just off the Moy Road roundabout, on Sunday evening, the 6th May 2012. The first rider will start at 4.30pm and the stage will finish at 6.30pm.
Stage four leaves from Dungannon Rugby Club on Monday, the 7th May 2012 at 9.45am. The stage starts at the Cohannon Inn, off the Tamnamore roundabout and will proceed for eleven laps of a 6.7 mile figure of eight circuit, finishing on the Killyman Road at approximately 1pm.
Full start list
1 Eoghan Considine Black Rose Racing
2 Chris Reilly Bohermeen CC
3 Derek Cunningham Bray Wheelers
4 David Brennan Castlebar CC
5 Ciaran Clarke Castlebar CC
6 Chris Coyle Castlebar CC
7 Bernard Twomey Castlebar CC
8 Conor McAllister Chain Reaction Cycles / Vitus
9 Kyle Houston ChainReactionCycles/Vitus
10 Leo McAllister ChainReactionCycles/Vitus
11 John Bann-Lavery Clann Eireann
12 John Heverin Clann Eireann
13 Stevie McAllister Clann Eireann
14 Peter Wilson Clann Eireann
15 Michael Barry Cuchulainn Cycling Club
16 Myles McCorry Cuchulainn Cycling Club
17 Darragh Mortimer Cuchulainn Cycling Club
18 Ray O'Shanghnessy Cuchulainn Cycling Club
19 Colm Quinn Cuchulainn Cycling Club
20 Derek Finnegan Curran Racing
21 John Madden Curran Racing
22 James McMaster Curran Racing
23 Simon Williams Curran Racing
24 Peter Williams Curran Racing
25 Owen Jeffries Dave Kane Cycles / Northern CC
26 Hugh McMahon DID Dunboyne CC
27 DID Dunboyne CC
28 DID Dunboyne CC
29 DID Dunboyne CC
30 DID Dunboyne CC
31 DID Dunboyne CC
32 DID Dunboyne CC
33 DID Dunboyne CC
34 DID Dunboyne CC
35 DID Dunboyne CC
36 DID Dunboyne CC
37 Bryan McKinney Duffin Transport
38 Stephen Hutchinson East Tyrone
39 Andrew Roche Ellan Vannin
40 Elliot Baxter Ellan Vannin
41 Darren Bell Ellan Vannin
42 Tom Black Ellan Vannin
43 Timmy Kennaugh Ellan Vannin
44 Aaron livsey Ellan Vannin
45 Adam Armstrong Eurocycles
46 Frazer Duncan Eurocycles
47 Thomas Martin Eurocycles
48 Will McCabe Eurocycles
49 Paul Mulligan Eurocycles
50 Conor Murphy Eurocycles
51 Eoghan Clifford Galway Bay CC
52 Derek Joyce Galway Bay CC
53 Mike ryder Galway Bay CC
54 Enda Connolly Garda Cycling Club
55 Stephen Clancy Irish Development Team
56 Eoin McCarthy Irish Development Team
57 Ryan Mullan Irish Development Team
58 Sean Rigley Irish Development Team
59 Daniel Stewart Irish Development Team
60 Shem Cullen Iverk Produce Carrick Wheelers CC
61 John Dempsey Iverk Produce Carrick Wheelers CC
62 Martin Mizjayski Iverk Produce Carrick Wheelers CC
63 Stephen Halpin Iverk Produce Carrick Wheelers
64 John Horgan Iverk Produce Carrick Wheelers
65 Michael Lucey Iverk Produce Carrick Wheelers
66 Ryan Sherlock Iverk Produce Carrick Wheelers
67 John O'Shea Iverk Produce Carrick Wheelers
68 Raymond Dunlop Lakeland Cycling Club
69 Dane Dunlop Lakeland Cycling Club
70 Onderj Slobodink Lakeland Cycling Club
71 Declan Byrne Navan Road Club
72 Sean McGreevy Newry Wheelers
73 Drew McKinley Newry Wheelers
74 Matt Higgins Node Giordana
75 Philip Lavery Node Giordana
76 James Moss Node Giordana
77 Ricco Rodgers Node Giordana
78 Mark Irvine North Down
79 Rory Devlin Northpole Cycling Club
80 Damian Lagan Northpole Cycling Club
81 Aidan Collins Orwell Wheelers
82 Odhran Connors Orwell Wheelers
83 Dave Coughlan Orwell Wheelers
84 Dave McLoughlin Orwell Wheelers
85 Patrick O'Brien Orwell Wheelers
86 Daniel Whiting Orwell Wheelers
87 Kenny Bucke South Dublin Cycling Club
88 Karl Donnelly South Dublin Cycling Club
89 John Paul Lyons South Dublin Cycling Club
90 Art McManus South Dublin Cycling Club
91 Sebastian Rakos South Dublin Cycling Club
92 Alastair Steele Spires Cycling Club
93 Colm Laverty Stramullen
94 Frank O'Connor Stramullen
95 Colin Robinson Stramullen
96 Craig Sweetman Stramullen
97 David Wherity Stramullen
98 Paul Kennedy Swords CC
99 Damien McDonald Team Vision Racing
100 David McKnight Team Vision Racing
101 Patrick Clarke Terra Footwear - Bicycle Line
102 Colm Cassidy UCD
103 Ross Collins UCD
104 Con Collis UCD
105 Noel McGlynn UCD
106 Antony Walsh UCD
107 Greg Swinand Usher IRC
108 Michael Brady Western Lakes CC
109 JJ Flaherty Western Lakes CC
110 Michael Flannagan Western Lakes CC
111 Donal Harrington Western Lakes CC
112 Barry Holian Western Lakes CC
113 Padraig Marrey Western Lakes CC
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