Crowley and Collins take wins in Michael Shiels-Darach McCarthy races | Video | Sticky Bottle

Close call: Paul Collins just about takes victory in the A4 race today. The Newcastle West Wheelers man claimed it for the host club, which put a huge amount of effort into organising three National Road Series races today. It also put on two support events, for the A3s and A4s, during what was a huge day's work for race director Liam Collins and all of his team (Photo: Sean Rowe)

Liam Crowley (O'Leary Stone Kanturk) and Paul Collins (Newcastle West Wheelers CC) have won the A3 and A4 races held in Knockaderry, Co Limerick, today.

Both races were part of the same card as the three Cycling Ireland National Road Series 'round 1' events promoted by host club Newcastle West Wheelers CC today; making for a huge day of racing.

After Covid-19 stopped sport across the island for a long time and then events came back in Northern Ireland before the Republic, today's races felt like the launch of the national season, with riders from both sides of the Border gathering in Knockaderry to do battle.

Liam Crowley, A3 winner, takes the victory in a bunch sprint Knockaderry. pic.twitter.com/kaFPVjyNIL

— Cycling Ireland (@CyclingIreland) June 20, 2021

As was the case in the women's elite race early in the day, the A3 and A4 races also came down to bunch sprints today, after the terrain and plenty of aggression failed to split things up.

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Crowley won the A3 event with a fantastic finishing kick and though he was pressed closest by his former team mate Daniel Yon Hin, now riding for Spellman Dublin Port, there was clear daylight between them on the line.

Colin Clavin (Streamstown Cycling Club) rounded out the podium on the day, with Stephen McGrath (Fermoy Cycling Club) in 4th place, Calum Kenny (Galway Bay CC) 5th and Elliott Teal (Carlow RCC) completing the top six.

The A4 race comes home in a bunch sprint as local rider with Newcastlewest CC rider Paul Collins takes the win with the throw at the line. pic.twitter.com/mhJE3vIQA5

— Cycling Ireland (@CyclingIreland) June 20, 2021

The sprint in the
A4 race was a much closer affair with Collins of the host club snatching the
win from Vladislav Evseev (Orwell
Wheelers Cycling Club) right on the
line.

Indeed it was a
close run thing between the top four, with Mark O'Donovan (Blarney Cycling Club) 3rd and Krzysztof Moniuszko (BMS Ireland Cycling Club) claiming 4th.

Blarney Cycling Club placed no fewer than five riders in the top eight, including O’Donovan in 3rd. His team mates Mark Pinfield, Daniel Begley, Hassan Mustafa Jassim and David Murphy filled places 5th to 8th.