Eve McCrystal powers home to leave breakaway in her wake at 'John Beggs' | Sticky Bottle

*Eve McCrystal took it up decisively in the closing stages and despite a great race by Máire Claffey the Louth women's power won out (Photo: Sharon McFarland)*

Eve McCrystal may
have relinquished her national title to Alice Sharpe in Derry City last month
but he Louth woman was back to winning ways at the John Beggs Memorial today.

The Banbridge CC
promotion was part of the National Road Series meaning the best of domestic
talent lined out.

McCrystal made
her way into the winning breakaway and took it up early close to the finish;
getting the jump on the others and having far too much power to be caught.

The early running was made by Máire Claffey, the UCD Cycling Club rider aggressive throughout the contest, and Agnieszka Wozniak (Strata 3-VeloRevolution).

*Máire Claffey was very aggressive throughout he contest but when McCrystal hit the afterburners just before the finish she got a gap and it was all over (Photo: Sharon McFarland)*

They went clear
in a two-up move on the opening lap and pulled out a lead of about 20 seconds
as the Ballymena Road Club women sought to control them.

In what proved to
be tactical early racing, Wozniak
left it to Claffey to do the lion’s share of the work out front as she had team
mate Grace Young in the National Road Series leader’s jersey back in the group.

With TT
specialist Eileen Burns (Ballymena Road Club) on the front of the bunch for
long stretches, the two leaders were recaptured.

And shortly after it came back together the climb of in Kinallen offered the first real insight into the form book on the day.

Grace Young in the series leader's jersey, which she retained, tracked by Irish masters champion and last month's elite championships bronze medal winner Katharine Smyth of Ballymena (Photo: Sharon McFarland)

A group pulled
clear over the climb with Ballymena’s Burns and her team mate and Irish masters
road race champion Katharine Smyth
making the grade.

Also present was
the Strata 3-VeloRevolution trio of Young, Wozniak and McCrystal along with UCD’s
Claffey, Yvonne Doran (Scott Orwell) and Nessa Rochford (De Ronde van Cork).

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As the second lap
commenced McCrystal was demanding more cooperation in the group, with Claffey
taking the opportunity to attack again.

This time Claffey
was followed by Young, Smyth and Wozniak. And while they were soon caught,
Claffey lit it up again with another dig to pull clear solo.

The lone leader was left out front solo for a period before Young and Smyth attacked after her from the group, though they were caught.

*Burns lead the winning group from McCrystal, Young and Smyth with Doran, Claffey, Wozniak and Rochford also in the group (Photo: Sharon McFarland)*

On the final lap
it was eventual winner McCrystal who put in a dig to pull clear and put Wozniak,
Rochford and Burns out the back of the group.

That aggression
by McCrystal saw a five-rider group form around her, with series leader Young
also there along with Smyth, Doran and Claffey.

While Doran was
dropped for a period she dug in and clawed her way back on during the final
lap, when Young looked strong on the climbs, though closed marked by Claffey.

As the racing
entered the final 5km Eileen Burns, Nessa
Rochford and Agnieszka Wozniak were just over one minute behind the five up
front, who were clearly going to fight it out for the victory.

While the front group continued to
ride for the line until the final kilometre when more cagey racing set it,
McCrystal used her power to go for a long one.

And when she jumped with about 500
metres to go Claffey went after her. However, the Louth woman and former
national champion was too powerful and held on to win it well from Claffey.

There was a close sprint for 3rd
place, taken by Katharine Smyth
from Grace Young and Yvonne Doran.

There came a gap to the next three, with Agnieszka Wozniak 6th from Nessa Rochford and Eileen Burns.