Con Scully set for fourth Rás Tailteann  

Carlow will have a central role to play in the 71st edition of the Rás Tailteann which takes place tomorrow (Wednesday, May 20).

The event starts in Portlaoise and finishes in Kilmallock. Stage two will see a transfer to Rathmore, County Kerry and finishes in Banteer, County Cork. This stage will include iconic climbs including the Tunnel Road/Caha Pass, Glengariff and the Gougane Gap.

Another transfer brings the race to Mitchelstown, Co Cork for the start of stage three. A fast and technical stage will traverse into Wexford, finishing with an uphill drag into Enniscorthy.

Stage four sees Rás Tailteann return to the Wicklow Mountains for the first time in eight years, starting in Carlow and finishing in Baltinglass. Riders will tackle the Drumgoff / Shay Elliott Memorial and Wicklow Gap climbs on what promises to be one of the decisive days of the race.

The final stage will again start in Carlow, before crossing the plains of Carlow and Kildare, including the Category 3 Hill of Allen, and finishing in Dunboyne, Co Meath, where three laps of a testing finishing circuit will decide the overall champion of 2026.

This year’s Rás features 29 teams and 165 riders from as far away as Mexico, the United States as well as European and Irish teams.

Con Scully will be riding for the Carlow Dan Morrissey team alongside Matteo Cigala, Mark McGarry, Ciaran Maguire and Bruno Rossa. It will be the fourth time for the Carlow cyclist to take part in the Rás.

The iconic event has been on Scully’s radar all season but he has spread his interests wide too.

“Early season form has been good. I didn’t get the win I wanted but my results were there. I was ranked top three or four in terms of points and was on the podium every time.

“I was second in the Sliabh Luachra series and third in the Rás Mayo. The last month and a half has been spent purely on the tandem. I was on a training camp in Majorca and at an event in Belgium. It might seem that I was a bit quiet but I am in good shape.” The Carlow man is hoping to take part in the Para-Olympics.

“We are pushing on. The goal is the Olympics in two years-time and we are training away with that.

But for now the Rás will consume Scully. He says he is looking forward to it now. He is a good climber and cannot be ruled out in a sprint finish. Depending on who is going better, he and Matteo Cigala will probably lead the team on a given day.

The Carlow cyclist says he likes the format of the race this year.

“It looks quite good. Obviously the Wicklow stage should be suitable for me but the second stage is what should be even more suited to me. That is starting in Millstreet and finishing in Banteer. We are going up Cahir Pass. It is a long stage and will be a kind of a grind. It is about 200kms. It will be a long day on the bike which tends to suit me,” he says.

Scully expects the Mitchelstown to Enniscorthy stage will pose questions.

“It is more a transition stage. That should be a sprint finish but could be a break stage. Everyone will be tired after stage 2. It is hard to say. The Rás is very unpredictable as the teams are so small. It might be a sprint stage but we will see.” At the start of the fourth stage when the riders leave Carlow and take a circuitous route to Baltinglass, Scully says it will all depend on how tired the teams are.

“The Wicklow Gap, Glenmalure, the Shay Elliott. They are two massive climbs and are two efforts which come very close together. When you get over the Shay, you are straight down into Laragh and the Wicklow Gap.

For me, I will be trying to limit the damage. Coming off the Shay Elliott and heading towards the bottom, it gets very tight there when you turn for Laragh,” he notes.

“Again like last year, it is an opportunity to attempt a getaway. Lads are quite tired at that stage and that might give you a chance to get into that break.” Barring accidents, Scully is hopeful the five Dan Morrissey team mates will take something substantial from five days of competition.

“We will be going for stages, me and Matteo depending on which one is in position.

“We have a strong team. The lads were second in the team trial in Rás Mumhan with only four riders. Mark is a great sprinter. We will be looking to get him up the first day and see what happens.

“We are close. Apart from Bruno, we have all been part of a team for the last few years. We all know each other quite well.”