Marine Lenehan has won Ireland's first world title in gravel racing when she triumphed in the amateur women's race at the UCI Gravel World Championships in Belgium.
Lenehen, who has won the Gran Fondo European Championships already in her career and is reigning Irish elite criterium champion, took the gold medal after 135.6km of racing.
She topped the podium from Eva Jonkers of the Netherlands, with Jana Priau of Belgium winning the bronze at the end of a tight contest between the strongest riders.
Lenehan has developed a very fast finishing kick in the recent years and used that to claim the gold medal this time around after arriving at the finish in a 21-rider front group all battling it out for the honours.
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In the end, the Irish woman took it quite comfortably, with none of her rivals about to come even close to her finishing speed in the 19-34 years ago group race, which featured 78 riders.
More to come.
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Gravel World Champs 19-34 Category
- LENEHAN Marine Ireland 4:22:06
- JONKERS Eva Netherlands 4:22:06
- PRIAU Jana Belgium 4:22:06
- BROUCKAERT Sophie Belgium 4:22:06
- TRUIJEN Annabelle Netherlands 4:22:07
- SERNÉ Elisa Netherlands 4:22:07
- BETZ Svenja Germany 4:22:07
- LANGE Andrea Germany 4:22:07
- PIJPERS Liv Belgium 4:22:07
- GADEMAN Sera Netherlands 4:22:07
- LEENKNEGT Veerle Netherlands 4:22:08
- MAJA Johansson Sweden 4:22:08
- VAN DER GEEST Loesanne Netherlands 4:22:08
- BLOEMHEUVEL Jasmijn Netherlands 4:22:08
- BÖHNING Nora Germany 4:22:08
