The big guns are back on home soil and the final countdown to a ferocious scrap begins, as pride, points and prestige are at stake. Exiles return and home combatants wait nervously their biggest appointment of the year, the FBD Milk Ras. Two days to go, the fuse is lit and the flame racing towards the charge. On the way is a daunting foreign opposition and an intimidating, saw-toothed backbreaker of a course lies ahead which will bring pain and frustration to many and glory to just a few.
Frankly, there's no race like it. Clubman against champion, county team against continental professional and courageous, aggressive riding the only antidote to the danger of missing the kind of early breakaway which defies logic but steals minutes. When the flag drops at noon on Sunday in Navan, the fireworks begin.
This year, the 49th edition of the race, the show is bigger than ever. The first-time allocation of world-ranking points has ensured that much. Among the biggest ever field of 190 riders lurks 16 strong foreign teams, four of which are professional.
Tour of Italy stage-winner David McKenzie leads the charge at the helm of the Swiss GS Ficonseils outfit, and has the best palmares (list of results) in the race. Team HSBC from South Africa, Legia-Bazliszek from Poland and Canadian team Jet Fuel Coffee complete the pro line-up. The dozen remaining foreign squads come from the USA, The Netherlands, Japan, Germany, Sweden, Britain, Scotland, and Wales, with whom defending champion - and real dangerman - Julian Winn will compete.
Other serious contenders are the Britain selection, featuring three bronze medallists from the team pursuit at the Sydney Olympics. Chris Newton is the greatest threat, as evidenced by his exceptional win in the recent world-ranked Circuit de Mines stage race in France. Mark Lovatt (Southend) and team-mate Kevin Dawson have both previously finished third in the race and will be keen to go further. Surrey Racing League's Gethin Butler will be another strong contender.
What is arguably the strongest-ever Irish team has been assembled to meet the foreign challenge. Olympian and professional David McCann has the best credentials of the Shannon Oaks Hotel-sponsored quintet. However, Tommy Evans (1996 winner), former world junior champion Mark Scanlon, exTonissteiner pro Morgan Fox and the impressive Aidan Duff have lifted enough trophies in the past to demand consideration.
Of the other Irish, Paddy Moriarty, double winner Philip Cassidy, Team Ireland duo of Michael McNena and Stephen O'Sullivan, plus under-23 champion David O'Loughlin will have ambitions of taking yellow; so too Paul Healion and Eugene Moriarty.
Crucial stages? Thursday's 150 kms from Killorglin to Skibbereen and Saturday's 171 kms from Dungarvan to Bunclody are both hill-peppered nightmares which will decimate the field. However, each of the 1,119 kms from Navan to Dublin's O'Connell street will provide danger for the race leader.
STAGES: Sunday 20th May, stage one: Navan-Ballaghaderreen, 155 kms; Monday 21st, stage two: Ballaghaderreen-Portumna, 131 kms; Tuesday 22nd, stage three: NenaghCastleisland, 184 kms; Wednesday 23rd stage four: Castleisland-Killorglin, 119 kms; Thursday 24th, stage five: Killorglin-Skibbereen, 150 kms; Friday 25th, stage six: Skibbereen-Dungarvan, 164 kms; Saturday 26th, stage seven: Dungarvan-Bunclody, 171 kms; Sunday 27th, stage eight: Dublin City Circuit, 45 kms.
