Aine Doherty may have been 'as láthair' for the third round of the Cyclocross National Series last month but the 16-year-old was back today in Portadown and ended the race on the first step on the podium again.
The VC Glendale rider was best today in 'Round 4' and though series leader Grace Young (All human-VeloRevolution) made it to the start line today after a bout of illness, it was Stephanie Roche (Scott Bright Motor Group) who claimed 2nd on the day, enough to take the series overall victory from Young.
Doherty has been really impressive this season, immediately establishing herself as a winner of elite races on progressing from the U16 ranks last year to the junior category for the 2022-23 'cross season. Today at Cyclocross NI she just got ahead of Roche on the opening lap, with Young running 3rd, Doireann Killeen (Kilcullen Cycling Club Murphy Geospacial) 4th and Caoimhe May (Orwell Wheelers) 5th.
Advertisement
After that opening lap, of four, Doherty began to press harder and put in the fastest lap of the race to extend her lead over Roche by 14 seconds, as the daylight back to Young also extended.
Doherty extend her advantage over Roche by another 12 seconds on the third lap and added another five seconds on the final loop of the circuit to run out the winner by 28 seconds from Roche.
Related News
Young, who went into the race today with the series lead just two points up on Roche, placed 3rd. However, the result today saw the lead in the series change hands; Roche doing enough to take the series victory.
In the end, Young was 1:35 down on winner Doherty, her illness denying her the best shot possible to add the cyclocross series victory to bronze medal she won at the Masters Cyclocross World Championships earlier in the season.
In 4th today came national MTB CX champion May, 4:28 down on Doherty, while Killeen was 5th, just two seconds behind May. Elena Wallace (Harps CC) placed 6th at 5:51.
In the series overall, Roche took the narrowest of wins thanks to seeing off Young today. Roche ended the inaugural series with 209 points, just two more than Young in 2nd, with May taking 3rd place overall on 198 points.
And while Doherty won the three rounds of the series that she rode, he absence from 'Round 3' cost her a shot at overall victory; the promising teenager placing 4th in the final standings on 180 points. Killen was 5th overall on 178 points while Irish Masters 50 road race champion Helen White (Stamullen RC) was 6th, scoring 170 points through the four rounds.
The result today sets up Doherty for a good battle with reigning champion Maria Larkin at the National Cyclocross Championships in Co Louth next weekend, though Young and Roche will also have a say on the destination of the medals.
