Cassidy maintaining family Rás honour

MARK CASSIDY was little more than an interested spectator when he stood alongside his mother in Drogheda to watch his father, Philip, don the coveted race leader’s yellow jersey at the end of the penultimate stage of the 1999 FBD Insurance Rás.

Philip was about to join those cycling legends who had won Irish cycling’s showpiece more than once but the amazing fact about this achievement was that his first victory had come 17 years earlier and two years before he represented Ireland at the Los Angeles Olympics.

It passed over the head of the younger “Cass” whose big interest at that time was swimming but, since then, he has made his own impression on the sport which his famous father graced with distinction.