With more women capable of taking a medal than ever, the National Women's Road Race Championships looks set to be a fantastic encounter (Photo www.jimmymcelroy.com)
There's a strong case to be made for the women's National Road Race Championships being the most open of all the title events this weekend in Omagh.
The women’s scene has progressed and expanded in recent years. And there are a handful of heavy hitters in the field this time around that were missing last September when the title was fought for in Westmeath.
Fiona Meade is the defending champion after sprinting to glory in Multyfarnham during a purple patch late in the year.
Since then her life has changed direction and having been offered a place on the South Carolina-based Fearless Femme pro squad she packed up her day job as a physio in Cork and crossed the Atlantic.
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She has been racing and training full time there and the competition she has faced in recent months has been much stronger in depth that that on the Irish scene.
It appears the perfect preparation for later in the year when the World Road Race Championships team is filled by the selectors.
And a second Irish title in the row tomorrow would go a long way to booking her seat for Richmond in the US.
Going into last year’s championships, Meade had enjoyed a fantastic Rás na mBan where she took the points classification and was a stage winner.
It meant she was given little latitude, but when the title unusually came down to a sprint from a large group Meade rocketed in.
Tomorrow’s circuit has no major climbs and so will suit Meade. However, a number of women either missing last year or tired at the end of a long season will be in the mix tomorrow.
And in a field of 56 riders, even three or four more turning the screw will make a difference and reduce the chances of a sprint from a large group at the finish.
The four-lap 100km showdown is now set to get underway at a rescheduled time of 3.15pm.
If Meade doesn't grab the glory again it could be another Cork woman in the shape of Siobhan Horgan.
She is one of the best road riders we have ever produced and has five national road race titles to her name as well as two time trial crowns; the second of which she won just last night.
She had stopped racing at the end of the 2012 season; her last event the World Championships in Holland.
But since then she has won two national duathlon titles. She is racing her bike again now because she has been sideline from running due to a stress fracture to her leg.
Her presence this year will make the race a different one, and not in a good way for the rest of the field with Horgan undoubtedly set to make a nuisance of herself.
She will have teammate Francine Meehan for company; making up a hugely strong pairing.
Meehan is the reigning national cyclocross champion and is capable of great things herself tomorrow if she got the rub of the green.
Speaking of strong riders who can exert their influence on the race, Olivia Dillon looked to have won it last year only for Meade to come with that tremendous late burst.
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The four-time TT title winner will be looking to add to her solitary road race title from 2010.
And while she took silver last year behind Meade and a stage in Rás na mBan just before the title race, her condition was not what it might have been.
That was underlined by the fact she pulled out of the national squad for the World Championships within days of the nationals citing fatigue.
Now riding for VisitDallas on the US pro scene like Meade, Dillon can do plenty of damage tomorrow.
Amy Brice leads a seven-strong Phoenix CC team, all of whom know they have a potential winner in their ranks in Brice.
Mel Spath was another missing last year; sidelined due to injury and so robbed of a chance to try for three road titles in succession.
She won a brilliant edition of the nationals three years ago in Clonmel and successfully defended her crown a year later in Carlingford.
She is very much still coming back from injury and has only ridden one road race this season.
But her 4th place in last night’s TT suggests her engine is a big as ever and ticking over nicely, even if not yet roaring as loudly as it has in the past.
Caroline Ryan, Eve McCrystal and Catherine McAteer comprise the three-person Garda CC team and what a line-up that is.
Neither of the three has ever stood on the top of the podium at the road race nationals; Ryan’s bronze in 2012 the only medal they have between them.
But that fact disguises serious horsepower and with McCrystal and Ryan 2nd and 3rd in last night’s time trial, they have an excellent chance to win the road title tomorrow.
They will be very disappointed not to take at least one medal away from Omagh.
The presence of Ryan, who missed last year’s title race, is – like Horgan’s return and the fact Dillon will be fresher - another spanner in the works for the rest of the field.
McCrystal was crushed last year when she was fourth; just like her brother Brian in the elite men's race a day later.
Her silver in the TT last night was a really strong ride but she is capable of doing at least as well as that tomorrow.
Aideen Keenan (DID Electrical Dunboyne) has won two of the four rounds of the women's national league this year so must be taken very seriously while Ciara Kinch (Towers CC) has also been victorious so she can't be discounted either.
Also in with a very strong chance are Lauren Creamer (Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International), Lydia Boylan (Team WNT) and Michelle Geoghegan (Saint Martinus Napoleon). They are all based abroad but have traveled to Omagh for the nationals.
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