Dean Harvey and Maria Larkin have set down a marker for the upcoming National Cyclocross Championships after their latest wins on the course that will decide the Irish title races in just over two weeks. While a small number of top riders - including those who will likely challenge for gold - were absent, Harvey and Larkin really impressed in Co Louth yesterday.
Harvey (Spellman Dublin Port) rode away to another solo victory - his third in the three rounds of the Cyclocross National Series to date - though Darren Rafferty (Hagens Berman Axeon) stayed very close to him until a crash intervened. That spill saw Rafferty's challenge evaporate on a tough day for racing at the McCrystal Track in Jenkinstown.
Harvey was at the front from the early exchanges, as has been the case all through the 2022-23 season. And by the end of the first lap, of seven, he'd stolen three or four seconds on Rafferty, though his race-ending tumble was just around the corner.
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As the race progressed, a number of top riders emerged behind the lone leader, all vying for the 2nd and 3rd steps on the final podium as Harvey powered relentlessly towards the chequered flag. Among the group putting up a fight behind the eventual winner were: Darnell Moore (Caldwell Cycles), Kevin McCambridge (Trinity Racing) and Jamie Meehan (Spellman Dublin Port).
By the end of the fourth lap, and with the race beyond the halfway point, Harvey had built a gap of around 1:45 over Moore with McCambridge next, about 3½ minutes down on the leader, followed by Meehan, who has been building form of late, in 4th around five minutes down.
Those gaps resulted in an assured victory for Harvey, as they continued to grow to the finish. They also meant only Moore, in 2nd place and at 2:16 on the line, was the only rider to finish on the same lap as Harvey. After the top two, McCambridge was 3rd with Meehan 4th and Graham Boyd (McConvey) in 5th place.
While Harvey has been the dominant player on the men's season this season, it will be interesting to see how Rafferty and Chris Dawson (Spectra Wiggle p/b Vitus) ride at the nationals; Dawson the elite men's defending champion.
In the the women's race yesterday, while the gaps were not as big, reigning national champion Larkin was the clear winner. However, Aine Doherty (VC Glendale) - who won the opening two rounds of the series - was absent yesterday.
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Larkin ran out the winner by 56 seconds from Stephanie Roche (Scott Bright Motor Group), with Caoimhe May (Orwell Wheelers) in 3rd at 1:50. She was followed by Michelle Geoghegan (Team Isorex) 4th at 2:03, with Grace Young (All human-VeloRevolution) rounding out the top five at 2:49.
After the first lap was completed Larkin had already put 27 seconds into Roche, who got a poor start, with May and Young both a little faster than her. On the second lap, as Roche moved into 2nd place, she limited her losses to Larkin to just seven seconds, and gained 13 and 14 seconds on May and Geoghegan respectively.
On the penultimate lap, Larkin put another 25 seconds of daylight between herself and Roche, making sure of a victory that already looked to be in the bag, though the gains were modest on the final lap; at just three seconds.
Larkin - who is home from the US for a block of racing before next month's National Cyclocross Championships - ran out a comfortable winner, though 16-year-old Doherty would likely have put it up to her if she had been racing yesterday.
Larkin - who has been national champion for the the last two seasons - will go into the elite women's race at the nationals at McCrystal Park on Sunday, January 14th, as the the favourite for gold.
Yesterday, Glenn Kinning (Kinning Cycles) won the Masters 40 race by by 11 seconds from Alan Bingham (Newry Wheelers) with Barry Kellett (Dromara CC) 3rd at 2:43. Masters European champion, and Olympian, Robin Seymour (Team Worc) won the Masters 50 race by 2:36 from Jason Henry (Inspired Cycling) with Colm McGarvey (Epic MTB-Expect Cycles) 3rd at 4:13.
Johnny McCabe (Cuchulainn CC) won the Masters 60 event by 2:24 from Paul Birchall (Verge Sport PI Cycles), with Derek King (Apollo CT 3rd at one lap. In the junior men's race, national champion Liam O'Brien (Fermoy CC) won by 1:26 from Joseph Mullen (Navan Road Club). Travis Harkness (VC Glendale) was 3rd at 3:06.
The U16 girls race was won by Greta Lawless (Team Worc) by 14 seconds from Alaya Rafferty (Island Wheelers) with Faith Robinson (Bray Wheelers) 3rd at 44 seconds. The U16 boys race went to Conor Murphy (Rostrevor MTB) from Curtis McKee (Scott Bright Motor Group), at 39 seconds, and Cameron McKee (Inspired Cycling), at 1:14.
