David Conroy has retained his elite Irish cyclocross title after being made fight all the way for it by Chris McGlinchey.
There was nothing to separate them for most of the race
until Conroy got the upper hand in the closing laps in Enniscrone, Co Sligo,
and won it well in the end.
On the line there was a gap of about 20 seconds between
winner and runner-up – with Thomas Creighton taking a well earned bronze.
But that final margin between Conroy (Scott-Quanta) and
McGlinchey (Vitus Pro Cycling) didn’t tell the story of what was a fantastic
fight for gold.
Very quickly after the start of the race, reigning
champion Conroy and McGlinchey pulled clear at the head of affairs.
And what unfolded in those early exchanges was a
difference in approach; Conroy trying to ride as much of the course as he could
and McGlinchey opting to run.
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That saw them exchange the lead a number of times. However, on the fastest part of the course when both were able to ride, McGlinchey looked very strong and opened a gap on Conroy.
However, with just over one lap completed, the gaps at
the front were modest; less than 10 seconds between leader McGlinchey and
Conroy.
A fascinating battle was then in store between McGlinchey
– one of Irish cycling’s best and most versatile riders – and David Conroy; an
off-road specialist who has been riding the European U23 and pro cyclocross
scene all season.
However, while McGlinchey was only riding his second
cyclocross race of the season, his first was last week when he won the Ulster
title.
He has also been training hard of late for the road
season ahead, with his Vitus Pro Cycling pro trade team. Against that backdrop,
McGlinchey was always going to prove a handful for anyone with designs on gold
today.
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However, while McGlinchey pulled ahead early, the gap
between himself and Conroy stayed just inside 10 seconds for a long time.
And having held the gap for the best part of two laps, Conroy began the reeling in process; closing up to McGlinchey quickly when the gap began to close.
Thomas Creighton and Darnell Moore were behind the two
leaders battling it out. But from the early stages it was a two-horse race for
gold and silver and a fight behind them for the bronze.
With just over 30 minutes of racing completed in what
would be a 55 minute race Conroy caught and passed McGlinchey just after the
start-finish area.
Once the catch was made the leading duo stayed together
for an extended spell, but it was Conroy who was now looking more comfortable
and he began to pull clear of McGlinchey.
But just as it looked like Conroy was going to press on
and put decisive daylight between himself and McGlinchey; the Ulster champion
dug in and closed the gap a little.
However, Conroy simply didn’t fade over the closing
stages of the race; continuing to power away on his feet and on the bike and claiming
gold after a fantastic contest that he deserved to win.
The man who put it up to him, McGlinchey put in a significant
push during the last third of the final lap and while he closed a little on
Conroy it wasn’t enough.
A fall by McGlinchey late in the contest didn’t help his
cause but David Conroy had done enough to retain his title.
Former junior champion Creighton came through for bronze;
the McConvey Cycles man taking another step forward in what looks like seamless
progression for him in recent years.
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