Harvey and Doherty draw first blood at Cyclocross National Series

*Aine Doherty leads Grace Young on her way to victory in the opening round of the Cyclocross National Series in Westport, Co Mayo (Photo by Sean Rowe)*

Dean Harvey (Spellman Dublin Port) and Aine Doherty (VC Glendale) have come out on top in the opening round of the inaugural Cyclocross National Series in Westport, Co Mayo, promoted by Westport Cycling Club.

Harvey (19), after a road season that included a debut Tour de l'Avenir ride, was by far superior in an elite men's field that was small but contained high quality riders. For her part, 16-year-old Doherty continued what has been a blistering run in her first season out of the youth ranks, proving too much for the prolific Grace Young (All human-VeloRevolution).

Harvey has been in great form this season, taking win after win, and after the opening lap, of seven, on Saturday it was clear he was on his game again. He had already put nine seconds into Kevin McCambridge (Trinity Racing) on the opening lap, with 27 seconds back to JB Murphy (EvoPro Racing), who was being closely chased by Darragh McCarter (Spellman Dublin Port).

While those early gaps were not insurmountable for the riders still in contact with the leader, Harvey simply continued to pile the pressure on out front, roughly doubling his advantage over McCambridge and Murphy on the second lap.

*Dean Harvey leads in the elite men's race from Sam Bolger and Kevin McCambridge (Photo: Sean Rowe)*

On the third lap, Harvey recorded his fastest lap time of the day, putting another 16 seconds into McCambridge and 40 seconds into Murphy – two quality riders being ridden away from by the form man at the head of affairs.

By the end of lap five Harvey, showing no signs of flinching, had almost 1:30 in hand over closest challenger McCambridge, before adding further to that advantage over the course of the final two laps.

In the end, Harvey claimed the victory by 2:27 over McCambridge with Murphy – still working himself back into condition after a road and track season-ending crash in France in July – was 3^rd at 3:22.

McCarter finished in 4^th place at 3:26, just behind Murphy, while Richard Maes (All human-VeloRevolution) was 5^th at 4:39 and Jamie Meehan (Spellman Dublin Port) completed the top six on the day at 4:45.

*Alan Bingham was in a class of his own in the Masters 40 race; the national champion a clear winner (Photo: Sean Rowe)*

In the women’s race, Aine Doherty was pushed hard by Grace Young in what developed into a battle of the best riders of the season to date. While Caoimhe May (Orwell Wheelers) finished the race in 3^rd place, it was a two-rider contest from the very early stages, with Doherty and Young powering clear of the rest of the field.

Over the first three laps, of five, there was nothing to separate Doherty and Young, though that would change on lap 4. There, Doherty forged clear of her rival, putting in a blistering lap of 8:42, by far the fastest of the day, and distancing Young. At that end of that lap there was 21 seconds between Doherty and Young.

And while lone leader Doherty continued to press hard all the way to the finish, Young eased off the gas a little, losing another 31 seconds to the winner on the last passage of the circuit.

After 45 minutes of racing Doherty crossed the finish line 52 seconds up on runner-up Young, with May taking 3^rd at 3:01. Stephanie Roche (Scott Bright Motor Group) placed 4^th at 4:04 with Annie Roche (Scott Bright Motor Group) 5^th some 4:33 down on the winner. Doireann Killeen (Kilcullen Cycling Club Murphy Geospacial) was 6^th at 4:53.

*Conor Murphy wins the U16 boys race (Photo: Sean Rowe)*

In the junior men’s race it was Joseph Mullen (Navan Road Club), already a winner at elite level this season, who took the victory. He began to nudge ahead of eventual runner-up Travis Harkness (VC Glendale) by the end of the second lap, before adding a little to his advantage over the remaining three passages of the circuit.

However, Harkness kept him honest, with Mullen forced to work hard to add seconds to his lead each lap. Similarly, while Tadgh Killeen (Kilcullen Cycling Club Murphy Geospacial) trailed the duo up front, he was never too far behind Harkness.