Dowling & Feeley pounce in Limerick; 80km solo breakaway wins A3-Jnr race

Mark Dowling and Daire Feeley finish for a team 1-2 in the Michael Shiels Road Race (Photo: Sean Rowe)

Mark Dowling and Daire Feeley have taken a
VeloRevolution-Strata 3 team 1-2 in Broadford, Co Limerick, on the first
weekend of open racing after the lock-down.

The team mates forged clear of the other two breakaway
men on the climb just before the finish today, crossing the line together for
an impressive team 1st and 2nd in the main event.

Feeley opened his account way back in March, winning the
Cycleways Cup in Co Meath, and took his second win of the season at the Athenry
GP last Friday.

He attacked today’s race hard, getting clear in a large
group early and then breaking away on the fourth lap of seven laps in the 117km
Michael Shiels Road Race.

Feely was away with Aaron Kearney (EvoPro Racing) and
Cian Keogh (Spellman Dublin Port) and while Dowling ran out the eventual
winner, at one point he found himself 2:40 down on a lead group of about 20
riders.

Riding his first race for almost a year, Dowling attacked
with about 25km to go and began the long effort of reeling in those ahead of
him.

When he eventually got back to the front of the race
three men had pressed clear and he made the juncture with Feeley, Keogh and
Kearney in the closing kilometres.

And on the last climb he and Feeley managed to distance
Kearney and Keogh and rode in to the finish to cross the line together.

Keogh took 3rd just behind them, with Kearney taking 4th
place on the day. About two minutes elapsed before a chase group of four
arrived at the finish to contest the minor placings.

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Dermot Trulock (Lucan
Cycling Road Club) took 5th place from Greg
Swinand (Dan
Morrissey-MIG-Pactimo), Ronan
Killeen (Lucan Cycling Road Club) and Tom Regan (Echelon CC).

Another two
minutes passed before what remained of the peloton arrived, with Darragh
McArthur (Spellman-Dublin Port) proving the best of those for 9th from Simon
Kelly (Burren Cycling Club) in 10th place.

In the A3-Junior race, the Michael Shiels Road Race over
85km, Paul O’Connell put in an epic ride to take victory.

The Newcastle West Cycling Club rider attacked very
shortly after the start and put in an 80km solo breakaway ride to win.

He took the verdict solo from Mark McGarry (Dungarvan CC),
Christopher Donald (Team Madigan
CC), Liam Crowley (O’Leary Stone Kanturk) and Daniel Yon Hin (O’Leary Stone Kanturk).

In the A4-Masters Darach McCarthy & Co Solicitors road race Vinny O’Leary (Tralee Manor West BC) took the verdict in a bunch sprint.

He got the better
of Declan O’Carroll (Chain
Gang Cycling Club), Martin O’Loughlin (Panduit
Carrick Wheelers), Daniel Mulcahy (Orwell Wheelers
Cycling Club) and Conor Gath (Galway Bay CC).