Joanna Patterson was celebrating in Co Wicklow today after winning the first national title bike race she had ever entered. Originally from Northern Ireland but having been based in Scotland since her days at university, Patterson is a former track runner turned triathlete turned cyclist.
And while she represented both Ireland and Northern Ireland
on the running track, she may have found her real talent on two wheels judging
by her performance today.
The 33-year-old claimed no soft title; coming up against
the reigning champion Eve McCrystal, who has hit the heights already this year
with double gold the Paralympics with Katie George Dunlevy.
Patterson is from just outside Ballymoney but went to college in Scotland and stayed. She represented Northern Ireland in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in the 400m and 4x400m relay. She also ran for Ireland, at the World University Games in the 200m and 4x400m and at the Europa Cup.
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Before landing in cycling she competed as a triathlete.
In Britain she has been riding – and winning – CTT title events and is the
reigning CTT 50m and 100m title holder. She also won the Ulster 25 mile TT
title earlier this year.
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Today she put in a very strong ride over the 33.79km
course from Brittas in Co Wickow, out the old road to Arklow and back again.
Her time of 47:00 was 51 seconds faster than silver medal winner McCrystal
(Bellurgan Wheelers). Linda Kelly (Barrow Wheelers) took the bronze, some 1:21
down.
Patterson said she was surprised and delighted to win;
especially as she had beaten McCrystal to claim the gold medal.
“I’m really happy, I’m really surprised actually. It is a
small field but strong riders, Eve is a really strong rider, I saw her in Tokyo
and she is like really inspiring to me, so it’s really surprising but I’m
really happy to win today,” she said.
“I wanted to get this right today just based on sort of
the wind and the hills, so I tried to ride it more sort of to the course rather
than focusing on average power or anything.
“So, I was trying to just push on the hills and when
there was headwind or when it felt slow just try and push a bit more and then
take wee breaks when it got really fast.”
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