Fortune favoured the brave at the Seamus Kennedy Memorial promotion in Co Meath, where three of the five race winners were riders who had attacked and committed to their task from a long way out.
In the A1 race, Daire Feeley (All human-VeloRevolution) took the honours, though he was made to work for it as the winning breakaway was kept under pressure by the nearest chase group. Matthew Devins (Dan Morrissey-Primór by Pissei) also pushed Feeley very closely in the finishing sprint.
In the other four races - Navan Road Club also running separate events for women, A2, A3 and A4 riders - five young guns took the honours as one of those races saw two team mates finish side by side after an impressive two-man move.
The winning breakaway in the A1 race was comprised of four riders; Feeley and All human-VeloRevolution team mate Mitchell McLaughlin, along with Conn McDunphy (Lucan CRC) and eventual runner-up Devins.
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In the three-lap, 115km, race that four-man group forged clear after about 20km and built a gap of about one minute, which they held for about 90km as the chasing group never gave up. The breakaway combined well and it wasn't until the final left that the attacks started; McDunphy putting in several digs in a bid to get clear.
However, Feeley and McLaughlin combined well; the latter covering the moves and closing the gaps allowing Feeley keep as much as he could in reserve for the finish. And when they got to the line, he needed all the power he could muster as Devins was clearly going well and pushed him very closely.
After Feeley and Devins in 1st and 2nd came McDunphy in 3rd and McLaughlin taking 4th after playing loyal team mate Behind the breakaway, there were plenty of attacks and groups forming in a bid to bridge over, though they were not successful.
However, by the time the chasers were deep into the final lap the bunch had fractured, with two three-man groups out front and vying for the minor placings.
In that first small group, Mark Dowling (All human-Velo Revolution) beat Gareth O'Neil (PB Performance) in the sprint for 5th. Leo Doyle (Arbo Headstart On Farrhad) was with them and placed 7th.
The next three-man group to finish, just seconds later, was led in by Jason Kenny (UCD Cycling Club) from Conor Hennebry (Dan Morrissey-Primór by Pissei), Luke Smith (Moynalty CC) completing the top 10.
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In the women's race, former junior road race champion and international triathlete, Ella Doherty (UCD Cycling Club) deployed the kick that has delivered her an Irish title, and wins in the Cycling Ireland National Road Series. While the field split in two early in the two-lap, 75km, race it looked from a long way out like it was destined for conclude in a sprint.
In the finishing kick to the line, Doherty got the better of former junior road race champion, and now first-year U23, Aoife O Brien (Spellman Dublin Port) with Jennifer Neenan (Newcastle West) rounding out the podium.
Cleo Harvey (Dublin Wheelers), a constant presence in the results last year, was 4th with Hannah Hayes (TC Racing) in 5th and Yvonne Doran (Orwell Wheelers) placing 6th.
Like the women's race, the A2 event also came down to a group sprint, with national junior road race champion Oisin Ferrity (Caldwell Cycles) taking his first win of the season in his champion's kit and riding for a new team this year.
He beat Patrick O'Loughlin (Panduit Carrick Wheelers), last year's top-ranked junior in the Cycling Ireland standings, by about half a length with Sean Tubridy (Burren CC) rounding off the podium. Karl Benson (Castlebar CC) took 4th with Charlie Holt (Roadman CC) in 5th and Alan Lyne (Lucan CRC) placing 6th.
In the A3 race, a two-man breakaway prevailed, with Liam O'Brien (Fermoy CC), the cyclocross international, taking victory from Conor Prendergast of Galway Bay CC. The winner and runner-up put in a very strong ride in a two-man move, which was away for most of the 75km race. They built a gap which maxed out at around three minutes at one point.
O'Brien managed to get away from Prendergast in the latter stages to take a solo win. Prendergast also finished on his own for 2nd place. Joseph Mullen of promoting club, Navan RC, broke clear on his own from the bunch in the latter stages to take 3rd, with his team mate Josh Callaly also getting clear close to the finish to take 4th.
The evergreen Shane Baker (Usher IRC) won the battle for 5th with Stephen Sheehan (O'Leary Stone Kanturk) rounding out the top six.
In the A4 race, the Killarney CC duo of Milo Donaldson and Luke Costello dominated. They got clear and rode well together to hold off the bunch, taking a team 1-2 and finishing side by side celebrating their performance.
The fight for 3rd place came down to a bunch sprint with Brendan Reen (Sliabh Luachra) prevailing from Sam Cleary (Drogheda Wheelers), Barry Ronan (Unattached) and Ken Kennedy (Marble City).
For full race results of all five events, please follow this link
