Over 300 riders took part in the Cyclo-cross National Championships, which took place on Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th of January at the Co Cavan location, hosted by local club Breffni Wheelers.
In what was the final race of the weekend, Dean Harvey, riding for McConvey Cycles, set out to make it four from four consecutive national titles. Conditions around the purpose built track which included steps, tricky technical sections and a purpose built bridge, were at the worst for the Men’s race and he faced tough competition, notably from Chris Dawson of Dawson Racing.
With two laps to go and the rain starting to come down once again, Dawson had Harvey in his sights as he continued to narrow the gap to the reigning champion. Harvey’s experience shown through as he maintained his lead into the final lap and across the finish line.
Caldwell Powerhouse Racing’s Darnell Moore completed the podium and Travis Harkness for Lyon Sprint Evolution was the highest placed Under 23 rider.
Speaking afterwards Harvey said, “It was a tough race. Conditions and the course made it really heavy. It was hard from the start. A close race as well with Chris, I was always on my limit from start to finish.
“I think today is definitely the toughest [championship victory] I’ve had, I sort of knew it was going to be like that. The course is not really the best for me. I was bit out of my comfort zone, I prefer a bit more fast stuff. I’m happy I knew it was possible so it’s good to get it done.”
The women’s race included three categories – Senior Women, Junior Women and Masters Women.
Riding for Simpson Nouvelles, Freya Whiteside dictated the race from early on. In what was described as a masterclass Whiteside seemed unphased by the conditions and technical track. The result never looked in doubt as she comfortably came home ahead of her rivals.
It may have been her first year as a Senior but Greta Lawless looked very much at home and put in a strong performance to finish second for Dawson Racing. Despite a good performance, last year’s champion Esther Wong had to settle for third.
Reflecting on the race Whiteside said, “It was brutal, I think I had not an ideal start – I missed my pedal. The start straight was quite long so I managed to move myself up into second. And then Esther made a small mistake within the first couple of minutes and I just went straight past her.
“I held the gap from there, I didn’t really expect to go from the start. I expected it to be more tactical but it was a very hard race. Going from the very start, doing the best I could was all I could do. It was so much fun!”
Jean Wilson successfully defended her Master’s title for EPIC MTB, with Aishling O’Connor (Orwell Wheelers) and Helen White (Stamullen RC) completely the podium.
Following a competitive season in the Cyclo-cross National Series Ffion Dolan was the highest place Junior rider for TC Racing with a strong performance around the Co Cavan venue.
Fionn Killeen flew somewhat under the radar in the run up to the championships, but he certainly made his presence known in the Junior Men’s Race. Following a bright morning forecasted rain began during the race, making for challenging conditions.
This did not hamper Killeen who claimed his place at the front of the race. Reigning champion Ryan Daly, riding for Scott Racing IRL, kept the pressure on Killeen but failed to bridge the gap.
It was a successful day for Kilcullen Cycling Club, with Killeen topping the podium and Conor Regan in third.
Talking about how the race played out Killeen reflected, “I just went out at the start and got a gap in the first lap and I just kept going, trying to keep going with it for the whole race. I did that so it was good.
“The course was good, it was slippery and muddy, and you could run a few sections, so it was good. It was technical.”
The championships got underway yesterday, Saturday 10th of January, with a busy programme of racing, including all bar one of the masters’ divisions.
Robin Seymour topped the podium in the M50 category, which attracted a very large entry field. Seymour is no stranger to off-road success, riding for Team WORC, he finished over two minutes ahead of Declan McEntee for Emyvale CC in second and over three minutes ahead of Pj Hynes for Bellurgan Wheelers in third.
Victory in the M60 category went to Des Woods of Inspired Cycling, with Michael Jordan (CSS Tallaght Wheelers) and Johnny McCabe (Cuchulainn CC) in second and third place respectively.
The M40 division were the only men’s master’s category to race on Sunday. Victory went Glenn Kinning, with Darragh McCarter in second for Caldwell Powerhouse Racing and Orwell Wheeler’s Ronan O’Flynn in third.
Saturday’s programme included youth races for all ages, which once again proved popular and created a great atmosphere. James Cunningham for Team WORC won the Under 16 boys and local rider Ava Baker won the Under 16 girls division. Daragh Quigley won the Under 14 boys for Foyle CC and Lilly McDermott won topped the girls division for the same age bracket for TC Racing.
Non-championship races took place for under 12, under 10 and under 8 categories. Full results can be found below.
Wrapping up what was a brilliant two days of racing Enda Baker of Breffni Wheelers said a few words, “Thank you everyone who made the championships possible – spectators, participants, family members, support crews. We really appreciate it. A big thanks to Cycling Ireland, the commissaires who ran great races.”
Two additional presentations were made alongside the race prizegiving. The first was to Barry Rodgers for his outstanding work and commitment to developing youth cyclo-cross. The second was to Danny Blondel and his wife Margaret for the massive contribution to the sport.
Full results from Saturday can be found HERE.
Full results from Sunday can be found HERE.
