Lacey's four-in-a-row bid
OVER 130 cyclists, including some of the top Irish riders, will compete in the this year's Lacey Cup, the first race of the season to be held in Munster when all cyclists will be anxious to show some good early form.
The 2012 Lacey Cup Race will be held on Sunday, February 26, hosted by the Tralee Bicycle Club, with long-term race sponsors Pat Mcdonnell Paints and new sponsor Peter White of ibike.ie covering the event.
This year amongst the pre-race favorites are two Tralee men who have both won this race previously, Paul Griffin of the promoting Tralee Bicycle Club in 2004 and 2006, and Seán Lacey, who will be hoping for a record four in-a-row having won the Lacey Cup now in 2009, 2010 and 2011.
Another Kerry rider, Matt Slattery of Killarney CC, also a previous winner of the Lacey Cup in 2003 and the current Kerry Cycling County champion, will be in contention.
Strong competion will also come from other teams from Cork, Clare, Limerick, Tipperary, Waterford and outside of Munster. Tralee Bicycle Club will be also looking to Cian Hogan, Tom O'flaherty, Aidan O'connor and Thomas Sheehy.
The course this year is Tony Griffin of Pat Mcdonnell's Paints presents the Lacey Cup prize fund cheque to Matt Lacey of Tralee Bicycle Club. Pictured from the left are Barry Horgan, Aidan O'conor, Paul Griffin, Tony Griffin, Matt Lacey, Pat O'conor and Fernando Pansagan our usual challenging circuit, which always proves to be very popular with all the participants. This year's race will have a neutrialised start from the Manor West Hotel, main sponsors of the Tralee Bicycle Club and the venue will be the headquarters for the race.
Departure from the hotel will be at 11.45am. Racing will officially commence from George Poff's Garage on the Dingle road at 12.15pm and will pass through Blennerville ( 12.20), Camp ( 12.45), Upper Camp, Gleann na ngealt (12.55), Annascaul ( 13.10), Inch ( 13.15), Boolteens (13.35), Castlemaine (13.40), Slieve Mish ( 13.50) and finishing at 14.00 at 60km signs at Skehanagh Cross on the Killorglin road in Tralee.
The first prime of the race is Gleann na ngealt, which is always hotly contested by the A4 category group for the Jackie O'connor Memorial Trophy. Local club riders Peter Magennis, Paul Lynch, Pat O'connor and Seamus Hoare will be hoping to get a chance to add their name to the list of winners of the trophy.
After Castlemaine the riders head for the second prime, The Teddy Griffin Memorial Trophy, the final climb of Slieve Mish Mountain where the race has usually broken up into a small group of elite Category A1 and Cat A2 riders, with the expected winner coming from this group.
Sign- in will be open from 10am to 11.30am at the Manor West Hotel, who will provide parking and facilities for the presentations following the race.
For further information contact Matt Lacey (087) 2258159 or log onto club website at www.traleebc.com
