Many of those who won medals at last year's National Cyclocross Championships have today shown their form, with impressive performances in Co Galway, just one week out from the nationals 2026, which will be run in Co Cavan next weekend.
The reigning senior men's champion, Dean Harvey, was untouchable again today in the final round of the National Cyclocross Series in Ballinasloe, taking a very strong win.
And it looks like it will take something very special to prevent him taking his fourth consecutive senior national title next Sunday at Castle Saunderson, in the 2026 championships promoted by Breffni Wheelers.
Last year's runner-up in the senior women's national title race, Greta Lawless (Smurfit Westrock), won the women's race today even more convincingly. She looks like she should really put it up to reigning champion Esther Wong (Team Farto-Kiroot) next weekend.
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Others who looked in mint condition today, and should be amongst it next weekend, include junior men's race winner Ryan Daly (Scott Racing IRL), U16s Kate Turner (Orwell Wheelers) and James Cunningham (Team WORC) and Masters 40 winner today, Darragh McCarter (Spellman Dublin Port).
Cunningham's performance was notable in that he finally overcame Eoin Davies (Bohermeen CC) for a win this season, as Davies has been really impressive through the campaign. Perhaps the most eye-catching aspect of Cunningham's ride was that he put in the only sub eight-minute lap today on his way to victory.
In the senior men's race, Harvey, now racing again with McConvey Cycles, got away from the start cleanly, forged into an early lead and simply never looked back. After the opening lap, of six, he had about 10 seconds on Robin Seymour (Team WORC) and Travis Harkness (Lyon Sprint Evolution), with Richard Barry (St Finbarr's) a little further back.
Harvey continued to extend that gap as the laps ticked down, only easing back on the final passage of the circuit when he knew it was in the bag. Seymour - an Olympian and now a Masters 50 rider - was 2nd at 1:24. Barry came through for 3rd, some 2:35 down, while Harkness was 4th at 3:16.
In the women's race, winner Lawless, one of Ireland's brightest off-road young talents, claimed victory over five-laps by almost four minutes. Though Elena Wallace (Harps CC) has had a fine season to date, she couldn't live with Lawless in freezing cold conditions today.
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Lawless got ahead early and continued to press; her advantage growing all the way from start to finish. At the chequered flag she had 3:57 in hand on Wallace. Irish Masters champion, Jean Wilson (EPIC MTB) was 3rd, at 4:49, and will really fancy her chances of retaining her crown next weekend.
Daly won the junior men's race after getting into the lead on the opening lap of five and continuing to gain on a strong trio chasing behind. The juniors started their race 30 seconds after the seniors, with Daly going through the senior field ahead of him.
He caught and passed all of the seniors, apart from race winner Harvey. On the line, Daly had an impressive 1:28 on nearest junior, James Armstrong (VC Glendale), who was best of the three-up scrap behind the race-long leader.
Another 18 seconds elapsed after Armstrong crossed the line before Conor Regan (Kilcullen Cycling Club Murphy Geospacial) finished in 3rd place. Shane O'Brien (Fermoy CC), who was with Armstrong and Regan earlier, had to be content with 4th today.
In the U16 boys race, Cunningham blasted away from the start, rounding the opening lap in 7:59, and getting ahead of Davis. And though Davis came back at him strongly in the closing stages, Cunningham won by 26 seconds. James Geary (Fermoy CC) took 3rd at 1:30.
In the U16 girls race, Katie Turner (Orwell Wheelers), who was 2nd in the Nationals last year after a long mechanical issue, was best by over two minutes from Ava Baker (Breffni Wheelers), with Aoife Kellett (Dromara Cycling Club) 3rd.
In the Masters 40 men's race, McCarter inflicted a rare defeat in Masters 40 national champion, Glenn Kinning (Kinning Cycles), with Ronan O'Flynn (Orwell Wheelers) in 3rd.
However, the margin between winner and runner-up today was just three seconds on the line and, given Kinning's record in championship racing, he will be hard to beat next weekend.
For full results, please follow this link.
