Feeley wins in Dublin after protesting farmer forces abrupt halt to race

Daire Feeley finishes his race, with a solo victory, about completing six laps in Rathcoole, Co Dublin, and unaware the chasing group had been brought to a halt at the end of the fifth lap (Photo: Sean Rowe)

Daire Feeley (All Human-VeloRevolution) has won the Starsky WarmEwis-Sempre Road Race in Rathcoole, Co Dublin, but only after a dramatic and premature end to the race.

As the riders were going out onto the final lap of the Starsky Cycling promotion, a tractor was parked on the road after the finish line. Its presence there meant the race had to be suddenly shortened by one lap.

It appears the tractor was taken into the road, on the descent of Windmill Hill, and left there as a form of protest against the racing being held in the area. At the time the incident occurred - just as the riders were going out on the final lap - Feeley had already broken clear solo and a high quality chasing group was pursuing him.

National criterium champion Andy Maguire won the last minute, and confused, sprint for 2nd place after the flag was waved for the chasing group when they thought they still had one lap remaining (Photo: Sean Rowe)

Feeley rode through the start-finish area solo and commenced the sixth and final lap uninterrupted. But when the chasers approached the line, believing they still had one lap to go, a chequered flag was produced. Some of the riders in the group saw the flag and began a confused sprint to the line.

Just after they passed the line they learned their race was over and they did not complete the sixth lap. Meanwhile, Feeley pressed on alone and completed the final lap on his own, oblivious that the group behind him had finished their race one lap early.

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It was a disappointing end to the race but with Feeley well clear by the time the chase group had its race cut short, he looked like he was in a very strong position to go on and win the race had it run its full course.

Matteo Cigala and Irish Masters 40 road race champion Dermot Radford come over the line, with Aaron Wade just behind. A little bit further back, Mark Dowling looks like he's just taken a bottle from the roadside in anticipation of the racing on for another lap (Photo: Sean Rowe)

While the racing was aggressive throughout, in very high temperatures, it wasn't until the fifth lap that Feeley managed to get clear on his own. And when he approached the start-finish area and went out onto the sixth and final lap, he had about 40 seconds on the chasers.

Behind him, the chasers had their race prematurely stopped at the end of the fifth lap, with some of the men in that group having just taken on bottles on the hill up through the finish. That meant they were unprepared for the sudden appearance of the chequered flag and the need to sprint.

Andy Maguire (Spellman Dublin Port) took the last minute sprint for 2nd place, with Gareth O'Neill (Caldwell Cycles Omagh) 3rd. Ronan Killeen (Lucan CRC) was 4th with Daniel Bresnan (Greenmount CA) in 5th.

Then came Matteo Cigala (Dan Morrissey-MIG-Pactimo) in 6th followed by Irish Masters 40 champion Dermot Radford (Club Rothaíochta na Sionainne) in 7th and Aaron Wade (Powerhouse Sport) in 8th.

More to come, including news of the other races from the day.