"I knew I had the power, but it was closer than I expected"

Lydia Boylan takes the Irish title just ahead of Eve McCrystal and Fiona Meade after a fantastic contest (Photo: Sean Rowe)

Having become Irish road race champion exactly 12 months ago in Omagh for the first time, Dublin's Lydia Boylan has retained her crown in Kilcullen, Co Kildare, today.

She said this year's edition was very cagey, with less sustained effort to try and break up the field than usual.

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And when the race came down to a sprint from a large group, she was confident she would have the power to keep her kick going all the way to the finish line.

But the finish was closer than she expected, with runner-up Eve McCrystal (ASEA Wheelworx) pushing her very close.

Boylan spoke to Shane Stokes after the event and she talked him through the race and her plans for the future which include the Commonwealth Games and maybe even the Olympics in four years time on the track.