Ireland’s Gallagher, Gillespie taken out by late crash after classy Worlds ride

Maeve Gallagher was more than a bit battered looking as she finished the Worlds. But she did a fantastic ride, despite a late crash deep inside the final kilometre (Photo by Sean Rowe, homepage photo by Caroline Kerley)

Maeve Gallagher and Lara Gillespie saw their hopes of a Worlds medal taken away from them by a late crash into Harrogate today.

Lucy O’Donnell,
who also crashed during the race, was a little further down the field.

However, with
all three finishing the junior race and Gallagher and Gillespie making it all
the way in the front group; the trio put in an historic performance.

It was the best
ride by Irish junior women ever at the Worlds; perhaps no surprise considering
this is an international-class team and all three appear to have bright futures
ahead.

As the racing
moved into the last 2km, Gillespie and Gallagher got themselves to the front of
what remained of the peloton and looked to be squarely in the fight for a
medal.

However, a very late crash saw Gallagher lose 30 seconds on the women who managed to avoid the spill.

Lara Gillespie had already won a track Worlds medal this year and three Europeans medals. A late crash denied her a chance of a medal at the road Worlds today. But when he bike wouldn't work in the final metres, she threw it over her shoulder and ran (Photo: Sean Rowe)

*Lucy O'Donnell had a dramatic race but she made it all the way (Photo: Caroline Kerley)*

Gillespie came
out of the late carnage even worse; coming down with seven others in the final
500 metres and being forced to run across the line as he rear wheel was jammed.

It was a very
disappointing end for the Irish duo but they come away from this with
confirmation, if it were needed, that they can stay the pace in a testing road
race of the highest level.

Indeed, not only
were they in the lead group, they were also in the thick of the front of it as
the fight for the medals got serious in the closing kilometres.

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Lucy O’Donnell
crashed much earlier in the race, though she persisted and finished; an
important achievement at a Worlds.

Maeve Gallagher
(Castlebar CC) finished in 25^th place at 33 seconds. Lara Gillespie
(Scott Orwell) was 39^th at 1:18. Lucy O’Donnell (O’Leary Stone
Kanturk) was 87^th at 13:46.

The race took the riders some 86km from Doncaster to Harrogate, with no laps of the Harrogate circuit for the junior women.

*Gallagher came down hard, as her kit and skin reveals in this shot by Caroline Kerley*

*America First: The USA team is on a high and took the junior women's crown after whole team monstered the men's junior race yesterday (Photo: Sean Rowe)*

In the closing
stages a group of about 40 riders was still intact when the junior TT title winner midweek, Aigul Gareeva (Russia), attacked with Megan Jastrab (United
States).

They eked out a
modest lead but it looked like it was enough to ensure they’d scrap for the
medals.

However, Gareeva
did far too much work on the front, with Jastrab aiding her but allowing her take
on the lion’s share of the driving.

When the road
kicked up to the finish line and the chasing group began to close down the two
leaders, Jastrab had the legs to finish the job; sprinting in to win another
title for America.

Gareeva was passed
by two riders and took 4^th place; Julie de Wilde (Belgium) coming
through for silver and Lieke Nooijen (Netherlands) winning the bronze.

More to come.