Welcome to stickybottle's 'live updates' coverage of the Mick Lally Memorial, which is being held today as the main event of the Dublin Wheelers Open Races, the first promotion of the Irish road season in Leinster.
The race is for C1 and C1+ riders and is being fought out over a distance is 87.8km, some 3.9 laps of the circuit including the Dorey's Forge ramp to the finish line each time.
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We're tracking the action all the way and bringing you blow-by-blow updates as the race unfolds, with also news today of the C2 Ian Gallahar Memorial and the C3 Willie Marks Memorial, being held today by Dublin Wheelers at the same venue.
Let's go and see how we get on with our stickybottle 'live updates' coverage. It's a first for us, so we'll see how we go. And, of course most importantly, let's see how the riders get on; who's flying at the first time of asking and who isn't....
Mick Lally Memorial Live Updates
- 11:50 And the two breakaway men - away from lap 1 - make it all the way, with Daire Feeley (Burren CC) winning from Luke Smith (Moynalty CC), with Patrick O'Loughlin (Carrick Panduit) in 3rd. Full results available at this link.
- 11:45 Luke Smith (Moynalty CC) and Daire Feeley (Burren CC) and continuing to hold a decent gap - perhaps 15 seconds - on the five chasers with the uphill finish just a few KMs away now.
- 11:40 Deep into this final lap and the chase group has now split. In the first group is O'Loughlin (Carrick), Keane (Orwell), Byrne (UCD), Killeen (Lucan CRC), O'Sullivan (Burren CC) and one other. But while those five are now chasing the two leaders hard, it's looking like Feeley and Smith will make it - though far from certain, with about 5km to go.
- 12:32 We have some movement off front of the chase group with Dowling (VeloRevolution) and Byrne of UCD going clear in pursuit of the two leaders, but it all closes up again. Feeley (Burren CC) and Smith (Moynalty CC) still lead by about 20 seconds.
- 12:28 Josh Callaly of Team Campana was a junior international last year and first-year U23 this year and he looks very strong in this chase group. He went to the front on a drag on this last lap, squeezed the pedals and you could see the strain in the group as they held up.
- 12:20 The two leaders - Daire Feeley (Burren CC) and Luke Smith (Moynalty CC) and holding off this chase group. The gap has come down a bit, they still have 20-25 seconds having been down to about 10 seconds only about 10KM ago. Will they make it or will they be caught? The 11 chasers are: Patrick O'Loughlin of Carrick Panduit, Mark Dowling of VeloRevolution, Padraig O'Sullivan of Burren CC, Ruairi Byrne of UCD, Josh Callaly of Team Campana, Con Scully of Dan Morrissey, Andrew Maguire of Team Stafford Bonded, Joe Nathan Matar of Orwell, Ronan Killeen (Lucan CRC), Jason Kenny (UCD CC) and Evan Keane of Orwell.
- 12:18 We're up Dorey's Forge climb now for the penultimate time, the next time will be the finish. Luke Smith (Moynalty CC) and Daire Feeley (Burren CC) still lead. It looked like the chase group would easily (OK, maybe not easily) mop them up, but the two leaders have built the gap again to about 35 seconds. In the 11-man chase group Dowling has been active in the chase, as has Byrne from UCD and Matar from Orwell. Indeed there's a good few of the chase group now rolling through.
- 12:10 We're nearing the end of the third lap of four - not quite there yet but almost three of the four laps done. And the 11-man chase group is closing in on the two leaders, Luke Smith (Moynalty CC) and Daire Feeley of Burren CC. Gap down to 10 seconds. Feeley has just attacked Smith, trying to go clear solo with just over one lap remaining, but Smith responds so it's still those two leading being chased by 11, with the gap about 10-15 seconds.
- 12:05 So we now have 11 riders chasing two leaders, about 30 seconds of a gap and we are about halfway round the third lap of four at this Mick Lally Memorial by Dublin Wheelers in Summerhill, Co Meath. The two leaders are Luke Smith (Moynalty CC) and Daire Feeley, new to Burren CC this year. They are being chased by 11 men: Patrick O'Loughlin of Carrick Panduit, Mark Dowling of VeloRevolution, Padraig O'Sullivan of Burren CC, Ruairi Byrne of UCD, Josh Callaly of Team Campana, Con Scully of Dan Morrissey, Andrew Maguire of Team Stafford Bonded, Joe Nathan Matar of Orwell, Ronan Killeen (Lucan CRC), Jason Kenny (UCD CC) and Evan Keane of Orwell .
- 12 Noon The chasing group of eight has just caught three of the riders from the original five-man breakaway. The three caught are: Ronan Killeen (Lucan CRC), Jason Kenny (UCD CC) and Evan Keane of Orwell. So Evan Keane was the man's who name we didn't have for the breakaway line-up earlier - sorry dude if you're reading this later!
- 11:52 Included in the breakaway (finally, says you!) are: Daire Feeley (Burren CC), Ronan Killeen (Lucan CRC), Luke Smith (Moynalty) and Jason Kenny (UCD CC). There are five of them, we'll get the other name as soon as we can. But the gaps have been so tight so far we haven't been able to get up to the breakaway, bear with us, won't be long now. That five-man breakaway, the leaders, have split in two - two riders leading being chased by three. And then the chase group is trucking after them all.
- 11:45 The chase group is going to catch the breakaway, they are flying across the gap. The second time up Dorey's Forge now (see photo below), so the race is now at the halfway point and it's very much game on.
- 11:40 The line-up in the chase groups is: Patrick O'Loughlin of Carrick Panduit, Mark Dowling of VeloRevolution, Padraig O'Sullivan of Burren CC, Ruairi Byrne of UCD, Josh Callaly of Team Campana, Con Scully of Dan Morrissey, Andrew Maguire of Team Stafford Bonded and Joe Nathan Matar of Orwell. These boys are motoring, pulling well clear of the bunch. They look strong, so we'll see if they can catch the breakaway, but this chase group is working well.
- 11:35 First proper time check on that breakaway - they have 1 minute to the main field and the chase group is halfway between. The bunch is now looking small - about 12 to 15 riders as a handful of riders have been dropped since the start and there's also more than 10 riders clear, counting the breakaway and the chase group.
- 11:25 Mark Dowling of VeloRevolution and Patrick O'Loughlin of Carrick have now clipped away in a group of four off the front of the bunch, they've picked up a small group of three just ahead, with two UCD's in it. So that's a strong chase group - though the bunch is motoring along at 60kmph after them. The breakaway is about 45 seconds up on the bunch and the chase group has about 15 seconds on the bunch, still on the second lap of two here.
- 11:20 Padraig O'Sullivan of Burren CC, who punctured earlier, has gotten back in. Off the front of the bunch now we have some action; UCD active again and Mark Dowling of VeloRevolution.
- 11:18 We are just gone up the Dorey's Forge drag for the first time, through the finish line so now with the first lap of four completed. Patrick O'Loughlin (Panduit Carrick Wheelers) was attacking off the front of the group, Josh Callaly (Cycling Team Campana) also attacking but both are brought back. The speeds were over 70kmph after the drag. It looks like that activity from the bunch has closed the gap a bit to the breakaway, and the bunch now remains lined out.
- 11:12 Some good riders here in the main bunch no fearing they have been left behind for the day, Ruairi Byrne of UCD Cycling Club - a great rider - not making moves on the front of the bunch trying to force the case effort. And is being aided by his team mates, UCD also with Jason Kenny, Eoin Kelly, Patrick O'Sullivan, Joel Luke and Jordan Luke here today. One of the VeloRevolutions now also helping UCD on the front of the bunch; Mark Dowling. That team has two riders here today in this Mick Lally Memorial C1-C+ race, with David Culloty also back in the main bunch. The breakaway has about 30 seconds now.
- 11:05 There's been a bit of a regrouping, with the front group splitting. There's two riders leading, chased by about five and then the small bunch. We'll get you names as soon as we can. The gaps are so small the cars can't get between the groups yet but that will change very shortly. We're still on the opening lap of four on his Dorey's Forge circuit.
- 11:00 The Dorey's Forge circuit is a very draggy one - not major climbs but it's up and down all the way and on the drags on the opening lap the group has now split into two and a gap is opening so early - bear with us while we get the names of those in the lead group. Ryan Geraghty of Bikeworx, loses touch with the second group on the road but then gets back in. Padraig O'Sullivan of Burren CC has punctured; rotten luck for him.
- 10:55 The race is already splitting a little, a main bunch at the front but a group of half dozen or so losing ground - not much room for error or recovery if someone let's a wheel go on a small bunch. That's especially so we group at 50km per hour for long stretches. Luke Smyth of Moynalty one of those jumping off the front, Mark Dowling of VeloRevolution sitting right at the back; clearly last year's winner is not getting carried away so early in the race
- 10: 45am We're following the C1-C+ race today, about 30-40 riders have turned out for this one. We're just away from the start now and already a few attacks are going on
