Sandra Fitzgerald takes a clear win in round 3 of the ‘Orwell – Stickybottle.com Crit Series’ last evening in Corkagh Park (Photo: Brendan Culleton)

 

 

Sandra Fitzgerald has made it two wins from three at the Orwell-Stickybottle.com Crit Series, taking round 3 in west Dublin last evening after claiming victory at the same venue last Tuesday.

The Garda CC rider, who has emerged in recent years as one of the very strongest on the home scene, sprinted in for victory last night ahead of a small breakaway.

The winner of the stickybottle.com junior prize at the latest round of the national women’s league in Rathdowney, Co Laois, on Sunday; Rachal Kaye Mellor made the lead group last night and came home in second place.

She was just ahead of her Orwell team mates, Aideen Keenan in third and Sandra Telford in fourth.

Winner Fitzgerald had dropped back away from the front of the action for much of last night’s contest, preferring to use the occasion to offer some on-bike coaching to her Garda team mate Catherine McAteer; a strong rider looking to increase her road racing smarts.

However, in the closing stages Fitzgerald switched her focus to her own performance, closing down the group ahead and then going off the front to win by a few seconds.

In the chasing group the Orwell quartet of Keenan, Kaye-Mellor, Telford and Orla Hendron were joined by UCD’s Niamh Stephens and Adamstown’s Roisin Kennedy, who won the series opening time trial a fortnight ago.

But when Fitzgerald attacked the group after catching it, the others had no answer.

Wet conditions replaced the blue skies of the previous week but there was a fine turnout for the third round of the series.

The B race was off first, with Adamstown’s Finola Lawlor going on an early attack, though she was unable to stay away. Towers duo Eimear O’Reilly and Lisa Darley Ronan rode hard in an effort to try and protect Darley-Ronan’s lead in the competition.

In the end the race was decided in a group sprint, with DID Electrical’s Caroline Martinez getting the win and enjoying her moment with a two-handed victory salute.

 

 

 

Caroline Martinez puts on the afterburners to take the sprint that decided the B race last night (Photo: Brendan Culleton)

 

 

Orwell-Stickybottle.com Crit League

Tues, April 22nd: Round 3, Corkagh Park

A Race Result

  1. Sandra Fitzgerald (Garda CC)
  2. Rachael Kaye Mellor (Orwell  Wheelers)
  3. Aideen Keenan (Orwell Wheelers)
  4. Sandra Telford (Orwell Wheelers)
  5. Niamh Stephens (UCD CC)
  6. Roisin Kennedy (Adamstown CC)
  7. Catherine McAteer (Garda CC)
  8. Siobhan O’Connor (Orwell Wheelers)

 

 

B Race Result

  1. Caroline Martinez (DID Electrical)
  2. Sarah Pratt (Bray Wheelers)
  3. Eimear O’Reilly (Towers CC)
  4. Lisa Darley Ronan (Towers CC)
  5. Sarah Kennedy (DID Electrical)
  6. Kristina Rutkovskaite (Lucan CRC)
  7. Anne Claffey (3D tri)
  8. Sorcah MCCann (3D tri)

 

 

The riders looking focused in the B race on the closed Corkagh Park circuit (Brendan Culleton)

 

Lisa Darley-Ronan wears the stickybottle.com leader’s jersey in the B race (Photo: Brendan Culleton)

 

The winner of the opening TT round a fortnight ago, Roisin Kennedy drives the A race front group (Photo: Brendan Culleton)

 

Orwell Wheelers were well represented in that leading group in the A race (Photo: Brendan Culleton)