Moriarty bidding for glory in hometown race

EUGENE MORIARTY would dearly love to win the race dedicated to his grandfather, legendary track cyclist Gene Moriarty, in his native Listowel on Sunday but feels that, at this point, it may be a bridge too far.

For 24 years, the Gene Moriarty Cup, a 70-mile cycle-race, has been a feature of the August Bank Holiday Festival of racing that ends with the Crotty Cup in Kilrush on the Monday.

In 1996 the young Eugene Moriarty fulfilled a lifelong ambition when he won the title perpetuating the memory of his grandfather who died when he was just seven years-of-age but since then he has only returned once to contest it mainly because of international commitments although he has been injured a couple of times.

This year, again, injury has been his lot. He came down in a multiple crash entering Tralee on the first stage of this year’s Credit Union Rás Mumhan, missed the FBD Insurance RÁS as result of his injuries and did not get back into competitive cycling until the National Championships at the end of June.

“I was pretty happy with the way things went that day but then I came out of Rás Connachta with tendonitis in my knees resulting in the return of an old knee problem and I have been off the bike for a couple of weeks since,” he said.

He is a member of a strong MyHome.ie/Cycleways.com team that includes former race winners Stephen O’Sullivan, Aidan Crowley and Michael Fitzgerald.

“Stephen O’Sullivan and Aidan Crowley both have very good form right now and I think they are going to make a big impression,” he said.

Eugene’s father, Tadhg, who is Race Organiser, feels that Paul Griffin from Tralee is the man they are all going to have to beat.

“He looked very impressive when he won the Crowley Cup in Killarney last weekend,” he said. “Himself and Timmy Barry rode away from the bunch at a very early stage in the race and they were not seen again and that must also give Timmy Barry a big chance.”

Barry would be a popular winner of the event. He is another who came down in that frightening crash on the opening day of Rás Mumhan but he just about survived and rode out the race badly scarred and bruised with a performance that is typical of the teak tough Corkman.

With prize-money totalling €1,700 there will be plenty to excite the field on what should be a memorable day in Listowel while the Crotty Cup in Kilrush on Monday, sponsored by Crotty’s Pub, will take the riders into County Clare. Vincent Gleeson won this title last year and he is the man they will all have to beat once again.