O’Brien has the right credentials

Páidí O’Brien is one of the hot favourites to win the final major stage race of the domestic cycling season, the Suir Valley 3-Day, which starts in Clonmel today and runs until Monday afternoon.

The Corkman, who will lead the Osbourne Meats/Edge Sports Shop team is a former stage winner, having beaten Sam Bennett on the opening day last year and eventually finished fourth overall.

Bennett, who has since taken the professional ranks by storm, is not eligible to ride this year — while the team who took three of the four stages last year, the An Post Chain Reaction team, are not back, so it should be a very open and exciting race.