Evidence Based Endurance / Training Science Rás Tailteann Champion · 2022 Ireland's #1 Ranked Cyclist · MSc
VOL. 10 / RACING

Memories & Hopes for Rás Tailteann 2026.

Daire Feeley sits down with the Irish Independent to look back on what the Rás has meant to him — and ahead to what 2026 could bring.

By Daire Feeley May 2026 Video · Irish Independent
► Watch on Independent.ie Daire Feeley celebrating at the Rás Tailteann

Daire Feeley talks memories & hopes for Rás Tailteann 2026 · Video: Irish Independent

The Rás Tailteann is the race that built me. Ireland's premier stage race, days deep, hard from the gun, and ridden over roads I grew up on. Winning it in 2022 is still the result I measure everything else against — not just the finish, but the weeks of work, the team around me, and what it took to be there on the right day.

The Irish Independent asked me to sit down and talk through what the race has meant to me over the years, and where my head is at heading toward 2026. The full interview is in the video above.

The Rás rewards the rider who is honest with their preparation. You cannot bluff a stage race. The form you bring is the form you built.

WHAT THE INTERVIEW COVERS

It is a short conversation, but it touches the things that matter to me: the memories that stick years later, what the race teaches you about pacing a long campaign, and the realistic hopes for what 2026 might look like. Less highlight reel, more honest reflection.

If you have ever wondered why I coach the way I do — build the base, respect the week, only prescribe what survives a race number — a lot of it traces back to lessons learned on roads like these.

Watch the full interview on the Irish Independent →

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