In a field of the best junior TT riders from across Europe, only one man could beat Ireland's Conor Murphy in the European Championships today, newly minted world champion Michiel Mouris. He was riding for the Netherlands and is from Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe's junior feeder team.
Murphy came away with the silver medal after leading through the early time checks, only for his Dutch rival to find something extra approaching the finish. There was just five seconds in it in the end, with bronze medal winner, Julius Løvstrup Birkedal (Denmark) at 28 seconds. There followed gaps of 49 and 55 seconds to 4th and 5th.
Over 24km, Murphy, who competes for Caldwell Cycles at home, and world champion, Mouris, were in a different class today. Indeed, they were in a different race compared to everyone else. And that fact makes the young Irishman one of our most exciting prospects for the years ahead as he now prepares for his U23 years.
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"I'm all right with it," Murphy told stickybottle when asked about winning an incredible silver, though gold was so close. "You always want to win it. But 2nd... yeah, I'll take it. I definitely was in it to win it. But it just worked out like it did on the day, and it was a close one.
“I’m happy with my performance. I wouldn't change anything that I did," he said, rightly sounding very pleased he had turned his abilities and his preparation into silverware on such a big day.
With a late climb - 600m averaging 6.6 per cent gradient - many riders would have gone out as hard as possible and suffered through the final incline, though others kept a little in reserve for the big finish.
"I paced it pretty well," said Murphy of his strategy during the 24km test. "It was just a question of whatever you had in the last 1k... and I just wasn't enough to get it over the line. But silver is still a very good ride
"This was one of my aims for the season. But I wasn't thinking about it too much. It was something I wanted to medal in, at least, because we didn't get Worlds this year. So it was a big goal of the season."
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Having placed 10th in the junior TT at the Worlds as a first-year junior last year, Murphy has since set some blistering times on the domestic scene, especially over the 10 mile distance at the Ernie Magwood Super Six Series. He set a new Irish junior record, of 17:42, which equalled Ryan Mullen's Irish senior record.
The Co Louth teenager also won the road race and TT at the National Road Championships, despite those title races coming just after his Leaving Cert. His results in those exams secured a scholarship to UCD, if he wanted to take it.
"I definitely feel I've come on a good bit," Murphy said of his progression over the last year, saying today's result was a really nice way to mark his junior years as he is now close to the end of his season.
"Everyone was delighted and it was great that we could get the double on the day with Adam as well," he said, referring to Team Ireland's Adam Rafferty winning bronze in the U23 TT.
"There's a very good mood around the place, we're all looking forward to Friday now," he added of the junior road race at these Europeans.
"I'll have to see on the day, I wouldn't say it overly suits me with the elevation," he said of that junior title road race. "But I'll get around it; not at the front but not at the back either. We'll see how it goes."
The road race may be his last event of the season, though he said he was considering riding the Chrono des Nations TT in France later this month.
"But I don't know, I might just pack it in now," he said of his 2025 campaign. "The season has been pretty long, especially with cyclocross. I think it's maybe time for a break."
