PROFESSIONAL triathlete Aine Donegan has taken the lead in the Cycling Ireland National Road Series Women’s standings, after finishing second in Sunday’s very wet Mullingar GP in Multyfarnham.
In her first season of road cycling, Donegan has now made the podium three times in the National Road Series, last weekend sprinting for second behind new Irish National Road Race Champion Eve McCrystal.
That placing elevated the 29-year-old from second to top the National Road Series table with 125 points, defending champion McCrystal five points adrift in second and former leader Katharine Smyth now third, after puncturing at the end of the first lap on Sunday.
McCrystal was winning for the first time in the Irish National Road Race Champion’s jersey and for the third successive round in the series - having already won the Donamon GP in Roscommon, and the Donal Crowley Memorial in Blarney.
She said: “I think because it was shorter (68km) it was harder from the start. The first lap it stayed together and on the second lap we upped the pace and six of us got away. That dwindled to four and we worked really well together.
“Coming in to the finish I attacked, and Aine brought me back, which worked out perfectly for me as she went straight to the front and I was able to sit in and wait for the sprint.
She added: “I really wanted to win because I had the Champions jersey on my back. I didn’t necessarily feel any pressure, I’m just so happy to wear it and it was great to win with it on me.”
McCrystal and Donegan had been joined by Sofie Loscher (Sundrive Track Team) and newcomer Isabel Oakes (Smugglers CC) in the winning break, but dropped the pair approaching the finish, McCrystal comfortably powering clear to win, hands aloft.
It was a similar experience for 20-year-old Sean Moore (Team Gerard-DHL) in the Men’s National Road Series event. The Wexford rider came up the final rise with only Conor Hennebry for company, and smoothly pushed clear for the biggest victory of his short career.
He said: “It was a brutal day out on the bike; raining from the gun - a pure hard man’s day.
“The break took a good while to get away, then just coming on to the last lap Mark O’Callaghan and a Swords rider were up the road and I clipped across, and a couple of riders joined us.
“Conor Hennebry got across to us as we went through the finish for the last time, then he attacked and I went with him. We rode to the finish and I settled it in the sprint.”
He added: “This is top of the list for me, it has to be. I’ve got about a million top tens without the win, and this is the first time I’ve got that elusive first place. I couldn’t be happier.”
Hennebry’s second promotes the Viner-Caremark-Pactimo rider to the top of the Men’s overall standings with 105 points. Jamie Blanchfield, who finished 11th, drops to second and the injured Sean Lacey is third. Moore’s win moves him up to fourth place.
There are three rounds left of the Men’s and Women’s Cycling Ireland National Road Series, the next round hosted by Banbridge Cycling Club at the John Beggs Memorial Race on Sunday, August 11.
The overall results of the men’s league can be viewed HERE and the women’s league HERE.
