ciarán lennon
@ciaranlennon
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Irish Independent Sports Desk. Some-time sportsman
Joined February 2009
All three episodes of Tainted Gold podcast are now available on Spotify and usual places. Thanks to the new InFocus team for allowing us to take over their channel for the week. Normal service resumes next week.
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For 30 days in a row Lachlan Mortan has averaged over 460km cycling on his bike . every day . on his lap around Australia. Truly mad, or incredible . or both . the craziest thing he's done, surely? . 14,047km done and almost there now
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No men’s manager, no women’s manager, no chairperson of the board, no men’s sponsor, no gender quota … and a CEO hanging on. Some crossroads at the FAI.
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Nine year old daughter: .'. so she's the first Irish swimmer to win a medal that didn't cheat?'.
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Spent a lot of time over the last few months working on this three-part podcast. Built on the shoulders of those who were there at the time; their hard work and humility. Episode 1 today, 2 on Wednesday, 3 on Friday.
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The timing of Dunbar’s attack is just perfect. Group had barely settled again after coming back together
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Roche has got to be disappointed with second today and in the TT but coming back for it shows important support for the event. Can’t be easy for organisers or riders this year.
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Tour de France reaches Paris. Must be some sight on a bike. Sam Bennett will rightly get the headlines, but 10th Tour finish for Nicholas Roche. No individual glory but rode a great race for his team.
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The 'island of Ireland' is looking to pursue a joint north-south bid to host the Tour de France Grand Depart in 2026 or 2027 . according to a joint statement.
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Given the Gay Byrne tribute dominated the TV viewing tonight, just as well #spotlightni will be shown again tomorrow night - BBC2 11.15. Kevin Lunney’s story has to be heard to be believed. Important viewing.
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It was a dramatic week at the Vuelta for Irish cycling, but it ends with a Sport Star of the Week nod for Roche and Bennett
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I don't know much about Denmark, says Brady, who has had a few weeks to do some research.
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Ten years ago today - @PhilipDeignan won a stage of the Vuelta. It was the first Grand Tour stage win by an Irish rider in 17 years. There's been 10 more since
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Love this picture of Paul O’Donovan. Olympic rowing champion helping Leevale win gold in the National Intermediate Cross Country Championship
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The rise of the selfie-taking sports journalist grinning with the ‘stars’ has to stop for the good of humanity.
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This is some subtle nod of the head by Geraint Thomas, leading out Cavendish for the stage win.
🚴🇮🇹 | Als Astana Cavendish niet helpt, doe ik het zelf wel. Dat moet Geraint Thomas hebben gedacht. 📺 Koers kijk je op discovery+
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This is quite the comment piece on Brailsford."He fuels a fallacy that his team are abused in France purely because they are winners, rather than acknowledging the shadow of perceived duplicity that has arisen from their blurring of the ethical lines" .
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Today @nicholasroche finishes his 17th Grand Tour. One more than Kelly. Most by an Irish rider. Some run with no DNFs.
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Big few weeks for Ben Healy. Helps Tim Pidcock win the Baby Giro. Wins a stage of Ronde de I’Isard in the Pyrenees. Rides senior World Championships at Imola. Wins national senior championships today. He’s just turned 20.
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Valverde has long been a problem for the image of the modern peloton.To ‘believe’ in Valverde, you’d have to believe a convicted blood doper came back from his ban and decided to change his ways, go clean, never tell anyone about it … and still race better than ever.
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So any chance of financial support for the velodrome, the Rás, or continental team . .
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20 years ago today, Mark Scanlon won the Junior World Championships. It was also his 18th birthday. Less than 10 years later he had retired from the sport. Today he lives a quiet life back in Sligo, works as a prison officer in Castlerea
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Dan’s piece on Eamonn Dunphy is worth rereading today.
When Irish football needed a strong voice, the highest profile pundit was pitifully weak and picked on the easy targets. A piece on why Eamon Dunphy's departure is good news
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Serious win by Sam Bennett, taking his 3rd win of the week at the Four days of Dunkirk. Certainly not a straight forward sprint stage. Now leads overall by 28 seconds with one stage to go
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Facing James McClean in a friendly game weeks before a World Cup must be a footballer's nightmare.
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Great to hear Conor Dunne has been selected to ride the Giro d'Italia. He certainly enlived the 2017 Vuelta, we can expect more of the same. Big month ahead.
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Aodhan O Riordain crediting the League of Ireland fans (amongst others) for getting the Labour candidate over the line.
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.@nicholasroche is writing a final piece for tomorrow's @indosport as a pro rider. We've been lucky enough to have him on the team since his first Tour de France. Covered every Grand Tour since. Some going in print not to mind the bike. It started here .
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Dublin Marathon are due to confirm another blue-chip multi-year title sponsor tomorrow. Any chance there's a sponsor out there with €280,000+ to keep the Rás on the road for 2019?.
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This is the print display to go with @RuaidhriOC's Sexton special feature. Looking forward to seeing it in the flesh tomorrow.
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Eddie Dunbar wins stage 20 of #vuelta .Brilliant ride to take his second Grand Tour stage . Eddie the eagle.
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Sam Bennett: From Belgium, to Carrick-on-Suir to the green fields of France. Saturday's @indosport front cover. Nicholas Roche's diary: ‘Each early attack .was like prodding a bees’ nest with a stick’
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Early #seasonofsundays contender from @sportsfile . Vincent Hogan in the ‘press box’ during Kilkenny v Kildare
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Armstrong's advice to Brailsford: "Dave man put the fucking shovel down and get back in the bus and shut up. He's not doing his riders any . he gets to sit in the bus, he gets to sit in the car. His guys have to ride through these people that he's . is he out of his mind?".
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This is a great reminder to look under the bonnet when people are quoting figures. "6,000 people employed in betting offices around the country are included in the 29,000 employment figure for horse racing".
If someone proposed the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund now with the terms in place, they’d be laughed out of town, writes @McDonnellDan
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Belgium-based Irish rider Imogen Cotter is set to ride the Tour of Flanders on Sunday. A late addition to the Ciclotel team and straight in the deep end. Pretty impressive progress this year. And a long way from riding under the family washing line in Clare.
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It would be a good day for Basketball Ireland to be pushing their case for that €1.5 million
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“It bears pointing out, however, that he’s also given Bora-Hansgrohe more wins than any other rider in their history – including Sagan. Although he does deserve a Tour spot, that’s not what it’s about. He’s earned it.”.
With the form he's in Bora-Hansgrohe surely can't afford not to take Sam Bennett to the Tour de France. This week's column
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Eddie Dunbar said he won his first stage in a way he never envisaged. But that’s exactly how he’d have pictured it.
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Dan Martin and Nicolas Roche will be racing under the Irish flag when the Tour starts tomorrow. But Wicklow’s Chris Juul Jenson is also taking part. The Dane lived in Kilmacanogue until he was 16 and raced for Ireland .at the Youth Olympics.
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Zlatan: 'A World Cup without me wouldn't be a World Cup.' . Zlatan’s World Cup goals: 0.
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Sam Bennett gets his first win in almost a year with the sprint win at Eschborn-Frankfurt. Great to see.
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Conor Dunne has just one race left this year to make an impression as he hunts for a contract for 2019, but it’s a big one #Innsbruck2018
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Today’s Wicklow loop.Greystones > Glencree > Sally Gap > Lough Tay > Djouce
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Second win in a row by Sam Bennett.
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Michael Morkov rode brilliantly for Bennett today. In the 2016 Tour the two rode together a lot at the wrong end of the race. Both injured in the stage 1 crash the Tour was just about survival. Bennett ended up the Lantern Rouge. Quite a different story this year.
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Some result for 19-year-old Irish rider Darren Rafferty.
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Mona McSharry wins bronze in the 100m breaststroke at the world short course championships.
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Today’s Vuelta stage starts in a super market .There’s Darren Rafferty waiting at the checkout .#VUELTA24
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Ben Healy finishes second at the Amstel Gold Race, 40 seconds behind a Pogacar. Must be the biggest ride of Healy's career. Matches best Irish performance in the race.
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Good chance of an eight page special on Connacht’s game in South Africa on Monday.
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Ben Healy signs off his year in the Irish champion’s jersey in style. And just two weeks out from the Tour.
"𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖 𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙚!" 🤩. Irish national champion, Ben Healy cruises to victory in Stage 5 of the Tour of Slovenia! 🙌. #TourOfSlovenia 🇸🇮
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Eddie Dunbar looks 4th strongest rider in the Giro. Currently 5th in GC. On course for arguable the best GC ride in a GT by an Irishman in 30+ years. Potentially up there with Martin's 4th in Vuelta 2020, Martin's 6th in Tour '17 (with 2 broken vert), Roche's 5th in Vuelta '13.
Irish duo Eddie Dunbar and Ben Healy lit up the Giro d’Italia today as the three-week race tackled its toughest stage thus far
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17 years old.1st appearance for Barcelona.30 secs after coming on.2 touches.1 goal.Marc Guiu.
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Big day for Ireland’s Ben Healy. First international professional win
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Nice picture of DJ's sons (I think), Michael and Sean Carey from tonight's Fitzgibbon Cup game by @sportsfilesteve
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I spent the time I usually waste on twitter working on this recently. Has some great cycling routes with contributions from @TurloughCarlow @poloconghaile Imogen Cotter &more. Comes with a beautiful @PaulKimmage piece on how his family cycles have turned full circle. Out Saturday
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Had a look at the course out in Abbotstown this morning ahead of Sunday’s Dublin cyclo-cross World Cup. Safe to say the going is soft, very soft
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On his last night in Talbot Towers @Johnmoorebelvo almost rips up his back page . until its saved by the linesman
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215km, 9 hours 30 in the saddle, 2 tired men. #ardmore2ardmore.Thanks for all the support and donations to @PurpleHouseIRL .
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Great start to the year for Sam Bennett. Wins stage 1 of the Vuelta a San Juan.
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Add 3 years, a few Grand Tours and a new kit. Nicholas Roche’s 2021 Giro diary starts in Saturday’s paper
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Whenever Roy has a go at his own players I think of McAteer's diary from WC 2002 'Roy thinks we're shit'
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Such a great picture. Mia Griffin with her two grandmothers.
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A scenic day for cycling, with the Tour of Norway and Giro d'Italia, but the Rás more than holds its own.
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Biggest result of Eddie Dunbar’s career.
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Still can't get over the choice of font here. the great man deserves better!.
Lee Keegan has announced his retirement from Inter County football. All at Mayo GAA wish Lee the best of luck in his retirement. Read More Below 🔽🔽. #mayogaa
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Taylor Phinney spoke out about finishing bottles, opioid painkillers and cortisone injections in cycling."I was like 'this is fucked up', and I said something about it in an interview. and I received quite a bit of backlash from the management".
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This is new one for @IndoSport. Will be sponsoring the King of Hills jersey at the @rastailteann this year. Great to play a small part in a brilliant event .
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Ryan O’Rourke from @LeitrimGAA was the only player across 4 divisions to get 10/10 from the paper’s infallible ratings system this week
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Eddie Dunbar should be up to 4th on GC. Gaining about 25 seconds on Caruso
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Good to hear Nicholas Roche will be lining up at the national championships again next week
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Final GC.Eddie Dunbar drops 2 places to 7th, but still an excellent three weeks for him, in only his second Grand Tour. Justified his leadership position
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Brailsford - 'the emperor with no clothes' - shouldn’t be let anywhere near Manchester United. Strong piece by Eamonn Sweeney.
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Sam Bennett now mathematically clear in green. Just have to finish.
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Convincing win on Champs Elysees. Cannot understate how well Sam Bennett has performed over the last three weeks. Tactically brilliant, on the flat, at intermediate sprints, even managing himself in the mountains.
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Episode 2 out now. ‘It’s not my proudest time as a journalist. I couldn’t bring myself to say what was the bleedin’ obvious…’. Episode 3 is out on Friday .
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The print readers, online readers and our panel of experts (ie the sports department) were all in agreement on this.
WATCH: Sam Bennett revealed as Irish Independent Sportstar of the Year for 2020. @Sammmy_Be . #IndoSportstar2020 .
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Megan Armitage set to ride the Tour de France Femmes. She’ll be the first Irish woman to do so.
En route vers notre 2ème @letourfemmes ! 💛🇫🇷. Voici nos 7 coureures qui s'élanceront de Clermont-Ferrand ce dimanche ⤵.
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Ben Healy putting in another big ride today to try and establish the breakaway at the #giro2023. Still only 17 secs of a gap
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