News

Road National Championship weekend is nearly upon us. Racing kicks off tomorrow, Thursday June 26th with Time Trial National Championships, hosted by Lakeside Wheelers in Westmeath, before attention turns to Navan as Navan RC, supported by Yellow Furze Road Club, for the Road Race National Championships on Saturday and Sunday, 28th and 29th of June.

Thursday’s action will get underway at 18:31, as riders tackle the 25.3km course just outside Kilbeggan, Co. Westmeath. Directions to Race HQ, Kilbeggan Whiskey Distillery Visitor Centre, can be found HERE.

This year’s TT champs will get underway with para cyclists. Hand cycles will lead proceedings, with five riders in total, setting off at one-minute intervals.

C-Class para riders will follow, and will feature Paris 2024 Paralympian Richael Timothy, as well as High Performance Development riders Heather Jameson and Cormac O’Callaghan.

Tandems take to the course next, with Paralympic pairing Damien Vereker and Mitchell McLaughlin the last male pair on the road, while last female pairing will be Paralympic and World Champion Katie-George Dunlevy piloted by Olympian Alice Sharpe the final tandem.

The Junior Women are set to take off from 18.56, led by Ffion Dolan. This category is set to provide some serious competition, with several very evenly matched riders.

The Junior Men hit the road at 19.05, in a field stacked with riders boasting international experience. Last year’s National Champion Conor Murphy will look to defend his title, but will face stiff competition from recent national team team-mates, including Hugh Og Mulhearne and Philip O’Connor, both having a strong year to date.

Elite Women are next up at 19.23. First year senior rider Lucy Benezét Minns will hope to make a splash, as she comes up against Paralympic and Para World Champion tandem pilot Linda Kelly as well as Olympian Mia Griffin to name but a few in an incredibly strong field.

U23 Men will be the penultimate group on the road, scheduled for 19.39. Another strong line up will see Lidl-Trek rider Liam O’Brien battle with recent Baby Giro stage winners Seth Dunwoody and Adam Rafferty in a ten-man field.

The Elite Men are set to get underway at 19.53. The evening’s racing will be rounded out by three riders recently named on the longlist for selection for the Road World Championships, in Rory Townsend, Darren Rafferty and Ryan Mullen.

Attention then turns to road racing on Saturday and Sunday. Seneschalstown GAA Club will act as Race HQ, and directions are available here.

The Junior men will get proceedings underway on Saturday morning, with racing set to start at 9.15am.

With 2024 Junior National Champion Patrick Casey making the jump to U23, the title is wide open. The field is again stacked with riders plying their trade across Europe and plenty of recent national team representatives, along with several riders boasting senior domestic podiums already this year.

In the Junior Women’s race, set to start at 13.40, last year’s winner Lucy Benezét Minns has also made the jump up to U23 ranks and leaves the title vacant. The race sees 2024 Cross-Country National Champion Greta Lawless making a rare appearance on a road bike as she looks to add a road National Championship to her resumé.

A combined Elite/U23 Women’s race will round out proceedings on Saturday. Last year’s Elite and U23 national champions, Fiona Mangan and Caoimhe O’Brien will both contest the Elite race, along with other UCI pros such as Mia Griffin, and a plethora of domestic talent.

Top UCI riders will also feature in the U23 field, including the younger O’Brien sister Aoife, Amelia Tyler, Emma Jeffers and the aforementioned 2024 Junior Champ Lucy Benezét Minns. This field also features  very strong domestic based riders, and track and cyclo cross international rider Esther Wong.

The Men’s combined Elite and U23 field on Sunday has grown for this year from 72 to 95 riders, and will feature the most riders ever from UCI teams at 18.

The Men’s race is set to start at 12.30, and 2024 U23 National Champion Dean Harvey will hope to retain his crown and add to his 2025 tally of National Cyclo cross and National Criterium championships. He won’t have it easy however, with notable competition from Adam Rafferty and Seth Dunwoody, coming off the back of their Baby Giro stage wins, as well as Patrick Casey, Liam O’Brien and Jamie Meehan, all having strong starts to this year.

2024 Elite champion Darren Rafferty will look to defend his right to wear the National Champs jersey, but again will face tough competition in a field brimming with international and domestic talent. Leo Doyle and Dillon Corkery will look to get amongst the action, as will Skyline trio Paul Kennedy, Cian Keogh and Conn McDunphy, and of course the previously mentioned Townsend and Mullen.

More information on the events this week, including full start lists for all races, is available HERE.