Conor Murphy (U19 Academy Région Sud powered by Giant) is clearly in very good form after his 12th place over at the Junior Tour of Ireland, with the 17-year-old having scalped some of the best TT riders in the country for his latest win.
The teenager's ride last night has also secured for him a new Irish junior 10 mile TT record, subject to the usual ratification process by Cycling Ireland.
And, not to be outshone, fellow junior Aliyah Rafferty (Tofauti Everyone Active) also won the elite women's event last night. She is now breathing down the neck of the Irish junior women's record over the distance.
Murphy was competing in the latest round of the Ernie Magwood TT Series last night, when that fourth round in the series was held in Ballymena, hosted by Island Wheelers.
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Over the 10-mile course he clocked a blistering time, especially for a first-year junior, when he stopped the clock in 18:20. That was 17 seconds faster than the time he posted in the last round of the series.
Murphy's time from round three - with juniors now permitted to ride gears of their choice - was already 11 seconds faster than the 18:49 Irish junior record set by Darren Rafferty - now a World Tour pro with EF Education-EasyPost - in July 2021.
Once Murphy's record is ratified, the new hare to chase for juniors - including Murphy himself next year - will be a sub 18-minute 10 mile TT. The elite men's 10 mile TT record is 17:42, set by Ryan Mullen (Bora-hansgrohe) a full ten years ago now.
Murphy's time last night was 18 seconds faster than the 18:38 time of runner-up Marcus Christie (Isle of Man CC), a man who is rarely beaten on home roads even by the best elites. Ian Inglis (Kinning Cycles) rounded out the men's podium, with a time of 18:50.
In the women's event, Rafferty's time of 22:22 was just 11 seconds off the national record Aine Doherty (VC Glendale) set last year. Rafferty won the women's race from Karen Hull (Phoenix CC), who clocked a time of 24:34. Pamela Ayre (Ballymena Road Club) completed the women's podium with 26:08.
