Just a week on from their top 20 rides in the junior and pro races at the UCI Cyclocross World Cup in Dublin, 16-year-old Conor Murphy (Rostrevor MTB) and former national cyclocross champion, Darnell Moore (Caldwell Cycles), went to battle in 'Round 5' of the Ulster Cyclocross Series.
It was teenager Murphy, who has really made a name for himself this year, who came out on top in the elite men's race at Palace Demesne in Co Armagh; getting a blistering start and then holding off a late charge from Moore.
And just behind the top two in the men's race was another emerging junior; Cameron Henry (Inspired Cycling), who rode for the Irish team, with Murphy, in the junior race at the World Cup in Dublin a week ago.
In the women's race yesterday, the young guns also shone, with victory going to emerging U23 rider Elena Wallace (Harps CC) and junior rider Aoibhinn Sharkey (VC Glendale) taking the runner-up slot.
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In the men's race, 2023 Youth Olympics TT silver medal winner, Murphy, got out of the traps very fast in the Square Wheelers promotion. He went around the first lap, of seven, in 5:35, some eight seconds faster than Moore, the only other rider to go under six minutes, though Henry rode that opening lap in 6:04.
Once ahead, young Murphy continued to press on, taking another three seconds on Moore on the second lap and 35 on Henry, though was also putting out a strong performance and settling in for an eventual 3rd place finish. On the third lap, the flying Murphy found another eight seconds on Moore, before the Caldwell Cycles man began to come back at the junior.
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Moore closed the gap to Murphy by 20 seconds through laps four and five to bring the difference back to just a handful of seconds, setting up a great battle over the final two passages of the circuit. However, Murphy dug in, pulling 11 seconds out of Moore on the penultimate lap to lead by 15 seconds taking the bell.
And while Moore closed a little on the final circuit, Murphy had victory in the bag, winning by 14 seconds from Moore, with Henry 3rd at 4:35. Graham Boyd (McConvey Cycles) placed 4th at 7:421, with Barry Kellett (Dromara Cycling Club) 5th at 8:09. Johnny Adams (Killinchy Cycling Club) was 6th, the only other rider in the 34-man field to finish on the same lap as the winner.
In the women's race, Wallace ran out the very clear winner from Sharkey, with Trudy Brown (VC Glendale) a further two minutes back, rounding out the podium on the day.
Wallace, who was 4th in the junior TT and road race at the National Road Championships this year, got a very strong start and was 40 seconds up on her nearest rival, Sharkey, after the opening lap of five yesterday.
From there, she continued to press her advantage, adding to it by well over one minute and each of the remaining four laps. Behind her, Sharkey was well ahead of Brown in 2nd place, though the gap to Wallace out front was much bigger.
In the end, the winning margin was 6:10, over Sharkey, with Brown 3rd at 8:13; only the top three finishing on the same lap. Laura Birley (Unattached Ulster) was 4th with Rachel Newell (Unattached Ulster) 5th and Carly Connolly of host club Square Wheelers in 6th place.
The men's 'B' race was won by Vinny Mort (Dunloy CC) by 17 seconds from Colin Mitchell (Square Wheelers), with Derek Finnegan (Square Wheelers) 3rd - of 20 starters in the four lap race - some two minutes down on Mort.
