Defending champion Mel Spath will tomorrow, Saturday, start the women's National Road Race Championships as favourite. But riders like Olivia Dillon (above) are strong, experienced and in the hunt for gold.
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By Brian Canty
It is arguably the most open of the title races this weekend, with any number of riders capable of lifting the trophy. But all eyes will be on defending champion Mel Spath when she lines out in the 50-rider field in Carlingford, Co Louth, tomorrow in the women’s road race national championships.
The US-based Team TIBCO professional told stickybottle she is in good form, before adding there were plenty other riders in the field capable of winning.
And she’s right because from the top 13 last year, nine are back again to do battle.
Also in the field are Aquablue’s Fran Meehan, the pilot for Paralympic athlete Catherine Walsh; Caroline Ryan (Garda CC-Richies Bike Store), a bronze medallist at the Track World Cup last year and winner of the TT national title yesterday; not to mention five-time winner Geraldine Gill (Bohermeen CC) as well as Claire Dallat (Bicycle Superstore/Black Rose Racing).
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It all makes for an intriguing race where riders will compete over seven laps and close to 100kilometres in total.
Of those on the start-list, Olivia Dillon is arguably the one most likely to give Spath most concern. As well as being a formidable tester – as four national titles would attest to - she’s a classy road race rider and the NOW & Novartis MS athlete will fancy her chances no matter how the race unfolds. She was third last year behind Spath and Siobhan Horgan, who has since retired, and will be a good bet for the podium.
Eve McCrystal could yet be one of the big winners of this weekend, having taken the bronze in the TT title race yesterday. She has the backing of a very good Garda CC-Richies Bike Store team, with two more contenders for support if that’s how it plays out.
One of those is none other than Caroline Ryan who will surely be one of the day’s big players. Ryan needs no introduction and her prowess on the track has made her one of the most well-known faces in Irish cycling over the last number of years.
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Having won the TT crown yesterday and claimed third in Emyvale in the road race in 2011, a double is not beyond her capabilities this weekend.
The other member of the Garda team is Sandra Fitzgerald, the European police champion. She was eighth in Clonmel last year and is more than able to mind herself in the bunch and in the sprints.
Lydia Boylan was fourth last year after making the day’s break and though she hasn’t featured on the podium at a national road champs in the past, she could spring a surprise this weekend. She’ll be riding unattached.
Michelle Geoghegan is another who fits into that category of having not featured on the podium at a nationals but her experience of racing abroad is going to bear fruit sooner or later. The Endura Lady Force WW Zeeuws Vlaanderen rider was sixth last year – second in the bunch sprint - and if she gets in the right move she will have every chance.
Amy Brice made the top 10 last year and will ride with a strong DID Electrical Racing team which features Caroline Conway, Anne Dalton and Siobhan McNamara.
Dalton recently finished third in the Paracycling World Cup in Segovia as a pilot for Katie George-Dunleavy.
The race will be aggressive right from the off because this is arguably one of the best fields in years. With several big-name contenders riding solo, and plenty more riding in teams, it could be the winning of the race if the likes of Garda CC-Richies Bike Store or DID Electrical Racing work over riders such as Dillon or Spath.
That's not to say those two can't handle it, but it will make things far more difficult if Fitzgerald, Ryan and McCrystal isolate them.
Prediction: Spath, Dillon, McCrystal.
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