George Peden shoots up Irish cycling's pecking order with first big win

*George Peden looking focused and lean on his way to victory today at the Ernie Magwood Series (Photo: Toby Watson)*

George Peden has shot up Irish cycling's pecking order with his first major TT win today; that victory coming after taking several recent mid-week wins as the sport prepared for the return of open racing.

While he beat some very good riders in the recent TT events organised by Donegal Bay CC and Foyle Cycling Club, Peden was taking on a field of much higher quality at today's Ernie Magwood Series.

He met that challenge head-on; beating some of the best riders in Ulster and also winning by a considerable margin.

His time of 18:37 over 10 miles was 22 seconds faster than Lindsay Watson; the Powerhouse Sport rider who has taken win after win in TTs and road races all over the country in recent seasons.

Neil Delahaye was in 3rd place today, some 1:04 down on Peden, followed by John Madden, at 1:13, and Vitus Continental rider Chris McGlinchey, at 1:16.

The women's race was won by former national TT champion and road and track elite international Eileen Burns of Ballymena Road Club. Burns put in a time of 20:47 to finish 17th of the 98-rider field.

*Former national TT champ Eileen Burns on her way to winning the women's race (Photo: Toby Watson)*

Burns took a two-second win in the women's event over Eve McCrystal, the former national road race champion.

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McCrystal rode the event twice today; one of her efforts on the tandem with Katie George Dunlevy and their time was 10th fastest; clocking 20:16 on the Paralympian champion and world champion tandem.

Jennifer Bates rounded out the elite women's podium, after Burns and McCrystal, with a time of 22:39. Laura Campbell was 4th on 23:19.

Delahaye and Madden flew the Masters flag spectacularly on the day; taking the Masters 40 and Masters 50 classifications respectively.

Teenager Darren Rafferty, who has already represented Ireland at youth and junior level on the road and in cyclocross, including at the Worlds, was best junior with a time of 20:36; for 14th on the day.

*Darren Rafferty was best junior on the day, and 14th of the 98-rider field (Photo: Toby Watson)*

Race winner Peden, who is aged 20 years and normally based in Leeds where he is going to college, has clearly come out of the lock-down in great shape.

In just a few weeks he has established himself as the in-form TT rider on the home scene; very much confirming that status today.

If he can replicate that in road races he will be in contention for national selection, when Irish teams are picked again to go abroad.

Stickybottle would like to say thanks to the Ernie Magwood Super 6 Time Trial League organisers for continuing to work until 11pm on Sunday, checking and then publishing the results, despite starting work very early on Sunday morning running the TT. Earlier in the day stickybottle was only in a position to cobble together the top five results and publish an initial brief story - with 'more later' promised - as no other results were available at that time. However, because the event organisers kept working until 11pm, despite their early start, we were able to publish the full results and full report after 11pm, as is often the case. However, it's only thanks to that huge effort from the organisers, all of whom are volunteers, that we are able to bring you the coverage we do; something that is not always appreciated by people.