Daire Feeley became the first Irishman to win the Rás Tailteann since 2008, while rising star Kevin McCambridge underlined his burgeoning talent by claiming a brilliant solo victory on the final stage of this year's contest.
Feeley capped a memorable week which saw him wrestle control of the race leader's yellow jersey on Friday´s Queen Stage from Newcastle West to Lisdoonvarna.
With the help of his Cork All Human/VeloRevolution team-mates he managed to hold it for successive stages.
Not since Stephen Gallagher won the then eight-day UCI-ranked Rás 14 years ago has a rider from these shores won the event overall, but Feeley ended the drought in some style.
Though the race has gone through a major transition since Gallagher´s win – losing its UCI status, being shortened to five days and attracting a lesser quality field – nobody can dispute the quality of the Roscommon rider's win.
He was brilliant on each of the five days and hardly put a pedal stroke wrong, staying in touch on Wednesday's opener, surging up the standings a day later before Friday's brute show of strength over a savage 172km stage.
The latter showing put him into yellow going into the weekend and after yesterday's penultimate leg ended in a bunch sprint following a scorching 48kph average speed, he was on the cusp of outright victory.
Sunday was all about finishing with those closest to him on the general classification, namely Louis Sutton (Brocar Ale) who started 51 seconds down, Adam Ward (Irish National Team) 15 seconds further back and the latter´s teammate Rory Townsend who was lurking in fourth at 1:29.
Incidentally, each of those three took a stage win this week and were right in the thick of the action again today, trying to find a weakness in the seemingly indefatigable Feeley.
Feeley knew all he had to do was follow a clutch of riders and victory was his, but that´s easier said than done in a race as unpredictable as the Rás.
Though the course was 'only' 135km from Kinnegad, Co Westmeath to Blackrock, Co Louth, there were two category three climbs around the midway point which were laced with danger for anyone not feeling strong.
Luckily for Feeley, he and his teammates Richard Maes, Vladislav Evseev, Mark Dowling and Timmy O'Regan each played key roles in policing an aggressive peloton.
There were attacks and counter-attacks all day on another lightning-quick run but each escape was brought to heel. Or at least all bar one.
With around 10km to go, 20-year old McCambridge (Trinity Racing) clipped off the front and nobody went - or could go - with him.
He never managed to gain more than a handful of seconds but incredibly, the peloton never managed to catch the Under-23 national time-trial champion again who crossed the line with a couple of seconds to spare on the bunch, led in by Matt Teggart (Cycling Ulster).
It was all the more impressive by McCambridge as he had a terrible crash in Belgium in April where he suffered two broken wrists, cuts, bruises and concussion.
He was one of a few up and coming riders who this week showed they are names to keep a close eye on.
It was a good week too for Irishman Dean Harvey (Irish National Team) who claimed the polka dot jersey as winner of the King of the Mountains classification.
Feeley was best county rider, Rory Townsend took the green jersey as winner of the points classification, while Louis Sutton was the best Under-23 rider.
