In the battle for victory in the Cycling Ireland National Road Series this year, Daire Feeley (All human-VeloRevolution) has drawn first blood by winning the Donal Crowley Memorial promoted by Blarney Cycling Club.
The Rás Tailteann champion came to the line with another one of the big guns on the domestic scene this year, Conn McDunphy (Lucan CRC), after that duo rode the final 40km in a two-up move. However, while McDunphy won the Bobby Power Memorial in similar circumstances on St Patrick's Day, Feeley proved too fast for him at the finish today.
Just a few seconds behind the winner and runner-up crossed the line, Luke Smith (Moynalty CC) won the sprint from the chasing group for 3rd place, ahead of George Peden (PB Performance) and junior rider Liam O'Brien.
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Fermoy CC's O'Brien was also first junior home today and so goes in the lead of the junior National Road Series after the combined senior-junior race in Blarney, where five juniors finished in the top 10. The men’s race was 140km, with 1,460m of climbing over two laps of a hilly circuit featuring Nadd Mountain, before they raced back into the finish in Blarney, slightly off the circuit.
The start was marked by plenty of attacks, on a constantly rolly course where the pressure was always on. However, it wasn't until about 25-30km into the contest that the first dangerous move gained a proper advantage. In that small group was Paul Kennedy (Burren CC) and Matteo Cigala (Dan Morrissey-Primór by Pissei), neither of whom can ever be afforded too much leeway.
They pulled out a gap of about 50 seconds quite quickly and while there was plenty of racing behind them from the bunch, none of the moves launched off the front in a bid to get across to the leaders was successful. However, as the second lap of the circuit was starting, with about 80km completed, a four-man group managed to get up the road.
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That quartet was comprised of: junior rider Liam O'Brien (Fermoy CC), George Peden (PB Performance), Luke Smith (Moynalty CC) and one other. That made for a group of six very strong riders, who were in real danger of riding away from anyone who missed the boat.
The gap remained at about 50 seconds and though the eventual winner and runner-up, Feeley and McDunphy, got involved in the moves trying to bridge across, all of those groups were closed down.
However, that duo continued to ride hard on the front of the peloton on the second ascent of Nadd Mountain and managed to breakaway clear. They had Conor Hennebry (Dan Morrissey-Primór by Pissei) for company, on man-marking duties for Cigala up the road.
That chasing trio eventually got across to the front group, with Feeley and McDunphy really having to dig deep to make it. Once they made the juncture, McDunphy showed his class with attacks that trimmed the group right back; Hennebry, Cigala and Kennedy the initial victims.
That left Feeley, McDunphy, young O'Brien, Peden and Smith up front. McDunphy and Feeley then continued to make a nuisance of themselves, one attacking and the other marking. That jumping about saw McDunphy and Feeley pull clear, riding the final 40km to the finish in a two-up effort.
However, while the leading pair were very impressive up front, the three chasers - O'Brien, Peden and Smith - never gave up. They formed a strong group and continued to ride, keeping the gap down to about 30-40 seconds.
And when McDunphy and Feeley began messing around in the final couple of kilometres, the chasers shaved about 20 seconds off their advantage. However, the experience of Feeley and McDunphy meant they were not going to mess up.
On the line, Feeley just got the better of McDunphy. And just seconds later - perhaps 10-15 seconds - Smith sprinted in for 3rd with Peden next and then O'Brien; the latter putting in a great ride over 140km.
There followed a quartet of juniors in places 6th to 9th; Patrick Casey (Anexo Group Race Team), Maxwell Hereward (360 Official Cycling), Killian O’Brien (Orwell Wheelers) and Willem O’Connor (Jegg-DJR Academy). Patrick O’Loughlin (Panduit Carrick Wheelers) won the bunch sprint to round out the top 10.
