Claire Ní Reachtagáin takes it all on night of cagey racing at Corkagh Park

*Claire Ní Reachtagáin wins the final round at Corkagh Park, wrapping up the 2021 series in the process (Photo: Matthew Lysaght - Cycling Ireland)*

Claire Ní Reachtagáin has won the main event on the final night of racing at the 2021 Women's Cycling League in Corkagh Park, Dublin, and has sealed outright victory in the process.

While the series has seen some great racing this year, with experienced and new racers alike getting stuck into the attacks, last night's final rounded as a more guarded affair.

The well placed riders in the series had their eye on the final standings and hedged their bits a little more, with a view to preserving their placings in the overall standings.

Jennifer Bates, in blue, gave it a very good bash on the front for several laps last night, but the tactics were more guarded than usual and the race came down to a sprint (Photo: Matthew Lysaght-Cycling Ireland)

That cagier racing resulted in the main event coming down to a sprint from a large group, with Sundrive Track Team's Ní Reachtagáin stepping up at the last with a big gallop to take the honours. She topped the podium on the night from the Dublin Wheelers duo of Aideen Keenan and Cleo Harvey.

Ní Reachtagáin was sitting 2nd overall going into last
night’s contest and, as she has such a good sprint, she rode for a bunch
finish; closing down moves and generally guarding the front of the bunch.

Some of the others tried not to have the race pattern dictated to them and took matters into their own hands; Keenan putting in repeated attacks and Jennifer Bates also putting in a good shift.

Aideen Keenan, above, and Cleo Harvey flew the flag for Dublin Wheelers through the series and both impressed. However, while they were on the podium last night in the final series standings, the top spot went to their rival Ní Reachtagáin (Photo: Matthew Lysaght-Cycling Ireland)

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Bates (Weston Homes-Torelli-Assure) piled on the pressure on the front of the
group for a prolonged period, but that effort was simply followed by others and
it did not have the desired effect of splitting the field.

And that meant a bunch sprint unfolded, with the top
three on the night also filling the final podium in the series standings; Ní Reachtagáin
winning it from Keenan and Harvey.

Ní Reachtagáin’s victory came just 24 hours after being crowned national
champion with the Sundrive Team Track at the National Team Pursuit
Championships.

In last night’s ‘B Race’, Josephine Lynch (Orwell Wheelers CC) won from Liz Hanley (Dublin Fire Brigade) and Eva Donovan (Tipp Wheelers).