Cyclocross National Series | Overall standings all categories ahead of big finale | Sticky Bottle

*Grace Young leads the women's Cyclocross National Series, though she is now a major doubt for the last round in Portadown this weekend (Photo: Michael Buckley Photography)*

The Cyclocross National Series reaches its finale this weekend in Portadown, where the overall winners will be crowned. And while some riders have really shone in their categories, the general classifications in many cases are very close at the top, with changes definitely possible.

It means even those riders who have repeatedly proven themselves this season will need to be on their toes if they are to seal overall victory, or a place on the final podiums, at the end of what has been a really successful inaugural series.

The women's series in particular is very close. And given the records of the riders battling away at the top, that series win is still wide open. While Aine Doherty (VG Glendale) put in storming rides to win the first two rounds, in her first months at junior level, she did not ride the third round. It is Grace Young (All human-VeloRevolution) who leads the way, on 156 points, from Stephanie Roche (Scott Bright Motor Group), who is just two points down. National XC MTB champion Caoimhe May (Orwell Wheelers) is 3rd on 150 points.

Doherty, with 120 points from her wins in rounds 1 and 2, is now down in 8th place. National champion, Maria Larkin (Unattached), who won round 3, is on 60 points in 10th overall. US-based Larkin is clearly taking her national title defence very seriously this year, with a month at home in Ireland for racing ahead of the championships the weekend after next. She also went to Europe over the last week to race against the pros to top up her form.

*Dean Harvey, left, is leading the senior men's series with three wins out of three in the Cyclocross National Series (Photo: Toby Watson)*

Overall leader Young said she has "really enjoyed" the national series this season, though she was unsure if she would race the final round this weekend in Portadown.

"I got a bad virus before Christmas that literally blew my socks off and I’m finding it hard to shake it off," she said. "All I can do at this stage is look back at the positives of the season so far and all the great results to date and anything after that will be a bonus. Fingers crossed I’m feeling good enough to travel this weekend."

In the senior men's series, it's not as close at the top as Dean Harvey (Trinity Racing) has won all three rounds to date and has 180 points at the top of the table. Kevin McCambridge (Trinity Racing) is in 2nd place on 149 points. Then comes Darnell Moore (Caldwell Cycles) on 110 points.

Those points tallies mean McCambridge is the only one who could overhaul Harvey, whose form all season has been so strong he looks a certainty to win overall - once he makes it to the start line and avoids any incidents in the final round.

Race organiser James Wilson, of Velocity Racing Club, said he was looking forward to an exciting finale to to the series on what he said was a varied course that would test the riders.

"It's a 2.5km which has double pits, a flyover and a lovely gravel section at the top which consists of rollers, firms, jumps and a nice fast downhill towards the finish line," Wilson said. "There's also a new section at the top of a field which is a hill made out of sand, the riders will be going back and forward across it maybe three times. Further on down the field towards the start-finish area there's the pits area, we've done a lot of work on the drainage so that it's in excellent condition and ready for race day.

"Overall I think it will take a good all round rider to win this race. The fact that the track has long straights and drags is going to suit people that can put out a lot of watts, but it can also suit the lighter rider - who is going to skip up those climbs. There's the technical parts which is going to suit the guys who can really throw a bike about."

*Stephanie Roche is 2nd overall in the women's series and she is still very much in the running to claim overall victory (Photo: Sean Rowe)*

In the junior men's series, Joseph Mullen (Navan Road Club) leads the way, on 170 points, with Travis Harkness (VC Glendale) next on 157 points. Tadhg Killeen (Kilcullen CC Murphy Geospacial) is 3rd on 145 points.