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The final day of action for the 2024 Cycling Ireland Road National Championships, hosted by Newcastle West Cycling Club, saw the Junior Women and the Elite Men (including Under 23) take to the Co. Limerick roads in search of the national champions jersey.

Elite Men

Victory in the Elite Men Road Race (including Under 23) went to Darren Rafferty for EF Education. Rafferty’s race was far from ideal with two bike changes due to mechanical issues, but this didn’t prevent him from coming out on top.

Former Rás Tailteann winner Dillon Corkery finished in second place for ST MICHEL – MAVIC – AUBER93.

Rafferty and Corkery pulled away from the other riders as the began the small five inner laps. The pair worked well together, but with 11km to go, Corkey cramped up and Rafferty rode away. Corkery closed the gap again, but in the end had to settle for second.

Rory Townsend, Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team, claimed third place ahead of Dean Harvey, for Trinity Racing. Harvey did not come home emptyhanded as he picked up the jersey for winning the Under 23 National Road Race Championship.

Completing the Under 23 podium was Patrick O’Loughlin in second and Jamie Meehan in third, riding for Panduit Carrick Wheelers and CC Etupes respectively.

Speaking after his, Rafferty said, “I think I had my expectations pretty low after Thursday’s kind of disappointing Time Trial. I wanted to redeem myself a bit but didn’t really think that I had the legs or the fitness to get a good result.

“I thought I’d see how it all plays out with all the stronger riders in the field, I thought it was Townsend and Eddie’s to lose, so I kind of leaned on them a bit. And also it was nice racing for the first time again with my brother, it was cool. He got in the first attack with Eddie. I tried to let that group of four get a bit of a gap and try and get them ahead. Then a group of five of us jumped across, then we had a good strong group of nine – that was the break for the day.

“The final climb was a lot harder the sixth, seventh, eight, ninth time, I just dug in and pushed for the line, lucky enough I managed to hold on.” 

It certainly was a special day for the Rafferty family, with two brothers in action in the Elite Men and their sister Aliyah finishing as runner-up in the Junior Women category.

Junior Women

Returning Junior Women National Champion, Lucy Bénézet Minns has shown great form this year, and she added to her tally today, claiming her third national road title in two years.

Last year she claimed both the Junior Women Time Trial and Road National Championship. Today she finished over five minutes ahead of her nearest rival in the Junior Women Road Race.

Riding for Tofauti Everyone Active, Bénézet Minns was in good company on the podium with her teammate Aliyah Rafferty taking second place. Aine Doherty completed the podium for VC Glendale.

Heading into the senior ranks next year, Bénézet Minns is looking forward to challenging herself with racing over some longer distances, but her immediate focus is on the Ghent International Track Meet in Belgium next week.