For a man who spent his youth, and most of his adulthood, playing hurling, Paul Kennedy's ability to collect as many wins as he has is extraordinary. And today, on the first day of the new season, the Burren Cycling Club man was on the top step of the podium again.
This latest win was a bit special as he had forged clear in the Mick Lally Memorial in Summerhill, Co Meath, with two riders who will likely be among the very strongest on the home scene this year.
Rás Tailteann winner and multiple top ranked A1 rider, Daire Feeley (All human-VeloRevolution), was with him as was Conn McDunphy - the former EvoPro Racing man now back with Lucan CRC and expected to do serious damage through 2023.
Though both Feeley and McDunphy would have been heavily backed to see off the challenge of Kennedy in the Dublin Wheelers CC race, nobody told the 42-year-old. He played it beautifully in the finale to get away from Feeley and McDunphy, who were busy attacking each other only for Kennedy to capitalise.
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It was the second time Kennedy had won the race, taking victory for the first time back in 2017. And on that day six years ago he also relegated two big names to 2nd and 3rd; Marc Potts the runner-up and former Cofidis rider Philip Lavery having to settle for 3rd place.
Today's main event unfolded over the traditional 22.7km Dorey’s Forge circuit, with the main event some 87.8km; the A2 group starting with a two-minute start on the A1s.
That gap, on a cold day and on a circuit with several tough drags, was never going to be enough to hold off the best of the A1s, and so it came to pass. The eventual top three - Kennedy, Feeley and McDunphy - got clear of the rest of the A1 group early in the race and made it across to the A2s.
The juncture was made with just 15 to 20 minutes of racing completed. And when the trio of A1s got across, they soon got away again, though this time had six A2s for company.
Patrick O'Loughlin (Panduit Carrick Wheelers) was with them, along with Sam Moloney, a Burren CC team mate of Kennedy's, Eoin Kelly of UCD Cycling Club, Ruairi Byrne UCD Cycling Club and top junior Quillan Donnelly (Usher Irish Road Club).
They joined forces for about two laps and pulled out a sizeable gap on the nearest chasers. However, the strong riders up front were intent on not letting the others get too comfortable, with big attacks starting inside the final 30km.
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Moloney lost his place in the front group thanks to an unfortunate puncture. And when Feeley commenced the series of attacks with a big move he was marked heavily. However, those bursts, and other big digs by McDunphy, caused plenty of pain in the front group.
Due to that pressure, the breakaway was soon down to just three riders, McDunphy, Feeley and Kennedy. A period of cooperation then followed, with the leading trio riding together until deep into the final lap. But as the finish on the Dorey's Forge ramp loomed, Feeley and McDunphy began lighting it up again.
However, when their attacks came to nothing - Kennedy proving well able to live with them - it was the Burren CC man who then took the initiative; attacking Feeley and McDunphy and getting clear.
Once Kennedy made his move with about 3km to go and the gap opened, Feeley and McDunphy let him go too far and could not get him back as he rode to victory. He just held them off, with McDunphy beating Feeley in the sprint for 2nd place.
Kennedy's team mate, Mark Shannon, spent much of the race policing counter attacks in a chasing group, and came through for 4th place, with Leo Doyle (Arbo Headstart On Farrhad) 5th and Mark Dowling (All human-VeloRevolution) in 6th.
In the A3-Junior Liam Gallahar Memorial, the juniors put in a great shift with four first-year juniors taking the first four placings after a long breakaway ride in the 65km event.
Josh Callaly and Joseph Mullen took a 1-2 for Navan Road Club. Callaly is the son of former Irish international Paddy Callaly and Mullen spent his winter cyclocross racing, earning national team selection for the UCI Cyclocross World Cup round in Benidorm in January.
Conor Prendergast (Galway Bay CC) and Killian O'Brien (Unattached) were the other two juniors at the head of affairs, taking 3rd and 4th respectively. Andrew Kelly (Moynalty CC) placed 5th, and was the last of the breakaway men to finish. Conor Lally (Roadman CC) put in a great finishing kick to win the bunch sprint for 6th place, on a day when the main event was in memory of his great grandfather.
The A4 Willie Marks Memorial was won by Ciaran Scanlon (UCD Cycling Club) from Brendan Reen (Sliabh Luachra Cycling Club) and Jason Stack (Usher Irish Road Club). Barry Ronan (Dunboyne CC) was 4th, with Vytautas Dudonis (Unattached) 5th and Ronan Conway (Lucan CRC) rounding out the top six.
- For full results from all races please follow this link
