Feeley best in cagey finale at Boyne GP after all-out attacks up front

Daire Feeley (All human-VeloRevolution) claimed his fourth win of the season at the Boyne GP on Saturday after very aggressive throughout was followed by a cagey finale among the breakaway men.

There were also wins for first-year junior Toby Sweetman (VC Glendale) in the A3-Junior race and Hugh Butler (UCD Cycling Club) in the A4 event. Both of those riders put in really impressive performances that ensured no photo finish cameras were need at the end of the Jons Drogheda Wheelers events.

In the main race, Feely got clear – after a fashion – in a winning six-rider breakaway, with four Ulster riders who did their very best to shake him off, but simply could not get rid of the Roscommon man.

On an undulating 16km circuit in Rathkenny, Co Meath, groups began going clear, and then being recaptured from the start, with the first serious move comprised of, among others, Feeley, Gareth O’Neill (Athlete Nutrition Coach HD) and Paul Kennedy (Team Skyline Cadence).

They rode hard for close to two laps but never got a gap bigger than about 30 seconds, before being caught by a large chase group of about 20 riders as the 96km race neared the halfway point.

That regrouping of sorts re-set the race, with the attacks then starting off the front again as the riders with designs on victory tried to go away in a smaller group.

And that winning breakaway did eventually form and included: Feeley, Kennedy, Lindsay Watson (Powerhouse Sport), Odhran Doogan (Caldwell Cycles) and Travis Harkness (Spellman Dublin Port).

They rode hard for about a lap to distance the chasing group and then for the following three laps they attacked each other repeatedly, with eventual race winner Feeley doing his best to close down his rivals.

He succeeded in those endeavours and when both he and Doogan put in serious efforts on the last lap, but were caught, the six-man group was still intact deep into that final lap. At that point, and with a headwind all the way to the line, the pace up front went right down as the escapees watched each other closely.

Despite that drop in speed, they were not caught by any chasers, going to the line for a group sprint won by Feeley from Doogan and O’Neill. Harkness, Watson and Kennedy filled places 4th to 6th in that order.

Video of race finishes with thanks to Athy Wheelers Cycling Club

Nathan Mullan (Velo Cafe Magasin) came through strongly at the finish for 7th, winning the sprint from a four-rider chasing group from Alan Lyne (Dunboyne CC), Adam Greally (St Tiernan’s CC) and Johnny McRoberts (Banbridge CC).

In the A3-Junior race, run over five laps for a total distance of 80km, Toby Sweetman took a fine win for VC Glendale; the 16-year-old first-year junior getting clear and winning solo.

He was delighted with his victory, coming up the finishing straight well ahead of the chasing pack. Jason Henry (Inspired Cycling) won the sprint in the bunch for 2nd place from Cesar Lopes (Orwell Wheelers CC), Eamonn Potter (Dublin Wheelers), Rob Jennings (Lucan CRC) and Cillian Owens (Spellman-Dublin Port).

In the A4 race – four laps, 64km – Hugh Butler (UCD Cycling Club) was way out on his own, winning the day.

Andrew Redmon (Bray Wheelers) won the bunch sprint for 2nd place from Colin McGready (Dromara CC), Daire Nulty (Breffni Wheelers), Marcin Laszczyk (Un-Attached Leinster), Colin McCloskey (Newry Wheelers), Dillon Hunt (Bray Wheelers) and Davi Silva (Clondalkin CC).