Mia Griffin has opened Ireland's account at the U23 and junior European Track Championships with a bronze medal in the U23 individual pursuit.
The 21-year-old went up against Italian rider Silvia Zanardi in the bronze medal ride-off and got the better of her to take home the medal.
Griffin recorded a time of 3:41.810, with her rival completing the 3km race against the watch in 3:42.962.
Griffin, with transferred to cycling from Gaelic Games just a few years ago, has been a member of the Irish team pursuit line-up that has progressed so well over the past two seasons.
And today, as part of a three-person team at the
Europeans in Italy, she put her firepower to good use to take a medal, which
comes just five days after she missed a medal at the National Road
Championships.
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Griffin was 4th in the elite women's road race, won by Lara Gillespie of UCD Cycling Club, in Knockaderry, Co Limerick, last Sunday.
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Gillespie is part of the Irish team at the Europeans in Fiorenzuola d’Arda with Griffin and also rode the U23 women’s individual pursuit today.
The first-year U23 rider – who medaled as a junior at the Europeans and Worlds – was 6th today and has unfortunately been ill since her national road title win in Limerick last Sunday.
In the U23 individual pursuit gold-silver ride-off today Franziska Brausse (Germany) went up against Vittoria Guazzini (Italy), with the German winning in a time of 3:35.040 compared to the Italian’s 3:43.279.
As well as riding the pursuit today, Ireland's medal-winner Griffin also competed in the scratch race and placed 7th; the gold won by Martina Fidanza (Italy) from Maike van der Duin (Holland) and Maria Martins (Portugal).
JB Murphy, the Co Kildare rider who also took medals at the Europeans and Worlds as a junior, is also part of the Irish team in Italy with Griffin and Gillespie.
He rode the U23 men's elimination race today and claimed 8th place. The title was won by Jules Hesters (Belgium) from Iuri Leitao (Italy) and Paul Garcia Pierna (Spain).
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