O’Brien eyes first national senior title

PÁIDÍ O’BRIEN can claim his first national senior title on Friday night in the criterium championship in Killarney where a closed 700m circuit will ensure plenty of entertainment.

Last year the Banteer man, who now rides for the Murphy & Gunn/Sean Kelly/MDonnelly/Newlyn professional team, won the under-23 road race title when he finished third in the national road race championship — a feat replicated by his team mate, Mark Cassidy, in Waterford last Sunday.

O’Brien finished second to David O’Loughlin in that race and he can turn the tables on Friday when the field will include the luckless, Ciaran Power, who cramped last weekend, and Eugene Moriarty from Listowel who battled his way into the business-end after a disastrous start.