Daire Feeley's Rás Tailteann diary: Winning the race didn't earn me a big-time pro contract, but it changed my life
My name is Daire Feeley and tomorrow I line up in Drogheda for my sixth Rás Tailteann, Ireland's biggest international bike race, a race that has played a big part in my life, directly and indirectly, over the past few years.
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Irish Examiner
25-05-2025
- Irish Examiner
Kimber claims Rás Tailteann title by narrowest of margins from Jamie Meehan
Stage 5 of Rás Tailteann 2025 brought the curtain down on a dramatic and high-speed week of racing, with the final 142.8km from Kildare Town to Bective offering a fitting finale. The day belonged to Josh Charlton (Great Britain CT), who stormed clear to take the stage win, but it was George Kimber (Cycling Club Isle of Man) who emerged victorious in the general classification, claiming the Bective Stud Yellow Jersey and the title of Rás Tailteann champion. Ireland's Jamie Meehan and Odhrán Doogan took second and third place overall. The stage began at a furious pace with a group of four riders quickly going clear. The quartet of Cameron McLaren, Dean Harvey, Daire Feeley and Patrick O'Loughlin opened up a gap of over a minute in the early kilometres despite wet and greasy road conditions. Behind them, the bunch remained cautious, with the yellow jersey George Kimber sitting deep in the peloton. As the race passed through Longwood, Feeley began to assert himself, clearly aiming to claw back his deficit on the general classification. By the time the riders reached Trim, he had gone clear with Harvey, and soon after, the break swelled to 14 riders including key names such as Mark Downey, Tom Martin, Ronan O'Connor, and Josh Charlton sitting 32 seconds off yellow at the start of the day, spent significant time on the front and was the virtual leader on the road with three laps of the Bective circuit to go. The final Category 3 KOM at Quarry Hill saw Gilsenan take max points ahead of Feeley, O'Connor and Pritchard. The peloton, led by UCD and Ride Revolution, began to close the gap, and attacks began to fly as riders sensed the final opportunity to alter the general classification. With just over 10km to go, Odhrán Doogan (77 – Cycling Ulster) launched a late solo move in a final bid to take yellow. However, Kimber remained calm, backed by his remaining teammates, and managed to control the margin to secure overall victory by five seconds. At the front, Josh Charlton had timed his move to perfection, sprinting clear of the reduced front group to take a fine stage win in Bective.
Irish Times
25-05-2025
- Irish Times
George Kimber takes 2025 Rás Tailteann title after nail-biting final day
George Kimber endured a nerve-racking final day of racing to win the Rás Tailteann on Sunday, finishing safely in the main bunch in Bective after a day of dangerous attacks. Compatriot Josh Charlton took the 142.8km final stage, going solo from a big breakaway and holding off a hard-chasing peloton. Isle of Man Cycling Club rider Kimber came under pressure just 10km into the 142.8km stage from Kildare Town, with the 2022 Rás winner Daire Feeley (Clare: Burren CC) going clear with Dean Harvey (Team Ireland) and becoming virtual race leader. Holding a gap of over a minute for much of the stage, those two were joined by a dozen others before the first of four 12km finishing laps. Charlton attacked on the penultimate lap and went solo, while Odhran Doogan (Cycling Ulster) bridged across to the chasers inside the last 12km. READ MORE He had started the day third overall, just 22 seconds back and put Kimber under further pressure, but a furious chase saw all bar Charlton hauled back before the end. 'It feels amazing,' final yellow jersey Kimber told The Irish Times. 'It's unreal. I don't know how I pulled it off at the end there. I thought the race was gone, but I just stuck in there and it came back.' Josh Charlton (Team GB) wins the final stage of the Rás Tailteann. Photograph: Lorraine O'Sullivan Former individual pursuit record holder Charlton used his track racing speed to win by 58 seconds. Irish riders John Buller (Down: Banbridge CC Specsavers) and Odhran Doogan (Cycling Ulster) were to the fore in the bunch sprint, taking second and third on the stage. Team Ireland rider Jamie Meehan had hoped to overcome his overnight deficit of five seconds but while he jumped away on the final lap, he was unable to hold off a hard-chasing Kimber. 'The tactic today was to try and find six seconds,' he said. It was a really hard day, but we tried. We got away in the last lap with about three quarters of a lap to go, and gave it everything. It's a bit of a flat circuit for a 57 kilo man and he was able to come across.' He took second overall, while previous race leader Doogan was third. Meehan was the best under-23 and Doogan the best county rider. The latter said after stage one that he didn't envisage being in the running for the overall victory, but finished far closer than he had anticipated. 'I'm very happy,' he said. 'Coming in, I don't think my expectations were as high as what I've achieved. I was obviously disappointed to lose yellow yesterday, but I went out swinging today and gave it everything.' It was an exciting end to the 70th edition of the race, and one which gave Meehan, Doogan and others important boosts in confidence and experience.
The 42
25-05-2025
- The 42
George Kimber defends yellow in tense final stage as Josh Charlton takes win
JOSH CHARLTON STORMED clear to take Stage Five but it was George Kimber (Cycling Club Isle of Man) who emerged victorious in the general classification to claim the Bective Stud Yellow Jersey and the title of Rás Tailteann champion. The final 142.8km from Kildare Town to Bective offered a fitting finale to bring the curtain down on a dramatic week. Advertisement The stage began at a furious pace with a group of four riders quickly going clear: Cameron McLaren (26 – TAAP Kalas), Dean Harvey (66 – Team Ireland), Daire Feeley (101 – Burren CC) and Patrick O'Loughlin (116 – Pinergy–Orwell Wheelers). The quartet opened up a gap of over a minute in the early kilometres despite wet and greasy road conditions. Behind them, the bunch remained cautious, with the yellow jersey Kimber sitting deep in the peloton. As the race passed through Longwood, Feeley began to assert himself, clearly aiming to claw back his deficit on the general classification. By the time the riders reached Trim, he had gone clear with Harvey, and soon after, the break swelled to 14 riders. The final Category 3 KOM at Quarry Hill saw Adam Gilsenan take max points ahead of Feeley, Ronan O'Connor and Pritchard. The peloton, led by UCD and Ride Revolution, began to close the gap, and attacks began to fly as riders sensed the final opportunity to alter the general classification. With just over 10km to go, Odhrán Doogan (77 – Cycling Ulster) launched a late solo move in a final bid to take yellow. However, Kimber remained calm, backed by his remaining teammates, and managed to control the margin to secure overall victory by five seconds. At the front, Charlton had timed his move to perfection, sprinting clear of the reduced front group to take a fine stage win in Bective.
