The first National Champions of 2026 will be crowned this weekend, as Breffni Wheelers host the Cyclo-cross National Championships at Castle Saunderson, Co. Cavan on Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th of January.
The championship comes just one week after the conclusion of the Cyclo-cross National Series which saw riders battle it out over four rounds.
Dean Harvey will look to make it four national titles in a row in the discipline, following his third in Ballinasloe last year. Harvey won the final round of this season’s Cyclo-cross National Series last Sunday, in a race he noted was “great preparation for National Champs.”
Harvey will have a tough task defending his title however; Cross Country MTB champion Chris Dawson will make the jump into cyclo-cross this weekend, as will UCD rider Ruairi Byrne, coming off a strong road season in 2025.
Richard Barry and Gavin O’Connell will also challenge Harvey, with both taking podium places in the overall National Series standings last week, while Darnell Moore and Travis Harkness can never be ruled out.
2025 National Champion Esther Wong will look to defend her title in the Senior Women’s race. Greta Lawless took silver in last year’s Senior race while still a Junior, and following her win in the last round of the Cyclo-cross National Series last week looks strong going into her first championship as a true Senior rider.
The Women’s Senior race will be combined with the Women’s Junior race. With last year’s top Junior finisher Lawless moving to the Senior ranks and last year’s Under 16 Champion Emer Heverin riding for Ireland on track this weekend, the title is truly up for grabs. Ffion Dolan, Grace O’Rourke and Holly McCaffrey are all liable to make plays on the day for top spot.
The Junior Men’s title also lies vacant, with two-time champion Conor Murphy having stepped up to the Senior ranks and putting a greater focus on road racing abroad. Murphy was flanked on last year’s podium by Curtis McKee and Ryan Daly, both entered into this weekend’s event.
Daly’s performance at the final Cyclo-cross National Series round was one for the ages, crossing the line second in the combined field behind only Dean Harvey, having started 90 seconds behind the Senior race. Daly stated afterwards he “felt good on the bike all day, and feels strong generally at the minute, really looking forward to National Champs.”
McKee and Daly won’t be in a two horse race however, and will likely see challenges from 2025 Youth Olympic athletes Rian McCrystal and Caleb McGreevy making their first foray into the Junior ranks, as well as National Series overall winner Shane O’Brien and the ever impressive James Armstrong, among others in a stacked field.
Jean Wilson will once again look to defend her Masters national title, and strong consistent performances throughout the National Series indicate she’s feeling as strong as ever. A field of strong riders will make that difficult though, with Aishling O’Connor and Helen White looking particularly strong last week in Ballinasloe.
The M40 race at last year’s National Championship saw a fantastic battle for the win between eventual winner Glenn Kinning and Ronan O’Flynn, with the same battle playing out last week in the National Series. Both O’Flynn and Kinning are again entered in a massive field for this weekend, as is last week’s race winner Darragh McCarter.
The M50 field, largest at last week’s National Series event, is again packed this week. Overall National Series winner Fearghal Regan will have his work cut out for him, with off road stalwart Robin Seymour fighting to add another national championship to his tally.
Reigning M60 Champion and former Masters World Champion Johnny McCabe will also look to add another title to his tally, but will have his work cut out against Michael Jordan, Des Woods, Colm Bracken and Fred McSorley, all coming into the weekend off very strong seasons on the cross bike.
The Under 16 Girls race is sure to provide fireworks. With reigning champion Heverin at the Apeldoorn Next Gen Track Competition and moving up to Junior, it’s all up for grabs. 2025 Youth Olympic rider Katie Turner put in a fantastic performance last week in Ballinasloe, storming through the mixed field to finish behind Senior winner Greta Lawless. Turner won’t have it all her own way however, as home club rider Ava Baker will look to challenge, as will third and fourth place riders from last week Aoife Kellett and Ciara Flavin.
With multiple youth national titles to his name already James Cunningham will look to add another this weekend in the Under 16 Boys category. National Series winner Eoin Davis will look to dent Cunningham’s plans, as will Series third placed rider James Geary in what will no doubt be an entertaining race.
Foyle’s Darragh Quigley stood atop the podium for the Under 14 Boys race last week in Ballinasloe and was flanked by two Munster riders in Fermoy’s Max McGrath in second and Greenmount’s Nuadha Walsh in third, in what was another highly entertaining race. With all three entered into this weekend and riding well, it’s sure to be another great battle.
An Under 14 Girls field featuring Lilly McDermott, Aoife Killeen and Aoife Campbell has the potential to explode early, and with other strong riders in the category should provide a spectacle.
Saturday’s racing will also feature non-championship races for Under 12 and Under 10 riders, and fun races for Under 8’s and Under 6’s.
