Alice Sharpe is elite Irish champion again in thrilling finish | Video | Sticky Bottle

*Alice Sharpe lunges for the line to win the elite women's Irish road race title (Photo; Sean Rowe)*

Alice Sharpe has won the elite women's Irish road race title in Kanturk, Co Cork, three years after first triumphing in the title race in Derry.

The IBCT rider led a clean sweep of the podium with her team mates Mia Griffin and Fiona Mangan, with the latter just holding off Caoimhe O’Brien (Torelli Cayman Islands Scimitar) in a fierce battle for the final step on the podium.

The elite women's race took in one lap of a 59km circuit in Kanturk before moving onto the smaller circuit, of 15km, for three laps making a total race distance of 104km.

While several groups went clear on the large opening circuit and also in the early stages of the racing on the 15km lap, it wasn't until two laps to go on that smaller circuit that the remains of the bunch effectively split in two. At that point, 10 riders forged clear to fight it out for victory.

That group was comprised of: Megan Armitage, Mia Griffin, Fiona Mangan, Alice Sharpe (IBCT), Caoimhe O’Brien (Torelli-Assure-Cayman Islands-Scimitar), Becky Woods (All human-Velo Revolution), Eve McCrystal (Bellurgan Wheelers), Lydia Boylan (Qromia Women’s Cycling Team), Jemma Speers (North Down CC) and Linda Kelly (Spin the Bean Power by Coffee).

Last time up the climb, in the rain, it was Armitage and Griffin doing the damage on the front and their efforts thinned the group down to seven.

However, one of the distanced riders - early breakaway woman Becky Woods (All human-VeloRevolution) - managed to claw her way back on to make it eight at the front. In the final sprint up the drag to the line it was Sharpe who prevailed over Griffin and Mangan.

How it unfolded

With last year's champion, Imogen Cotter (Plantur-Pura), out this season following a crash, there was certain to be a new champion at the end of today's race.

Though a grueling day lay in store, it did not deter early attackers; Danielle Forshaw (Gorey Cycling Club) and Vanessa Fursden (unattached Ulster) going clear not long after the start.

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After a short period out front for those two, Carthach McCarthy (Blarney Cycling Club) was next to go and she managed to pull out a gap of around 40 seconds on her own before a trio set out after her; Fursden again with Emma Porter (UCD Cycling Club) and Becky Woods (All Human VeloRevolution Racing Team).

While Fursden was dropped, Woods and Porter persisted and they managed to catch McCarthy. However, the lead trio was soon down to a duo after Porter was dropped, leaving Fursden and Woods leading the race by one minute.

However, the IBCT team, along with Linda Kelly (Spin the Bean Power by Coffee), began working on the front of the bunch, with the advantage of the leaders immediately dropping before they were recaptured.

That paved the way for a new duo to go clear, Woods again and this time joined by Roisin Lally (Loughborough Lightning Cycling Team). They had about 30 seconds advantage over the chasing pack as they ended the 59km lap and moved onto the 15km circuit for the first of three laps.

Woods soon dropped Lally on that first lap. However, the lone leader was also reeled in and as the main field approach the end of that opening lap the key 10-rider split took place.

That group went on to dominate the final two laps and eventually eight of them went to the finish to contest for the medals. Those top eight, in order, were: Sharpe (IBCT), Griffin (IBCT), Mangan (IBTC), O'Brien (Torelli-Assure-Cayman Islands-Scimitar), Kelly (Spin the Bean Power by Coffee), Megan Armitage (IBCT), Woods (All human-VeloRevolution Racing Team) and Eve McCrystal (Bellurgan Wheelers).