Former Irish criterium champion, Ellen McDermott, has been in very good form in Belgium, where she took her first podium finish of the season today. The 33-year-old claimed 3rd place at Herne Dames Elite in Flemish Brabant, Flanders.
She was on the attack during the 82km race - ten laps of an undulating 8.2km circuit - and while her move swelled towards the end of the race, as a chasing group got across, she still had the legs to take 3rd place.
Victory went to Thalita de Jong (Liv Racing Xstra), who is a former world and European cyclocross champion. The 28-year-old won Ronde de Mouscron (1.1) last week and today she saw off Ukrainian Ganna Solovei (Lviv Cycling Team), a former European TT champion, with McDermott rounding out the podium.
Advertisement
McDermott was part of an aggressive Keukens Redant line-up today which fired multiple attacks off the front before the Irish rider got clear in the second half of the race.
Related News
With four laps to go one of the moves McDermott got involved in managed to get a gap and rode away from the main field. It looked like her two-rider move may make it all the way, though they were caught by a four-strong group with about 4km to go.
That saw six riders going to the line to fight it out for victory, with De Jong winning it well and McDermott just being pipped by Solovei for 2nd place.
That was a very strong performance by McDermott, in what was a strong field. It follows a very solid performance at the weekend in EPZ Omloop van Borsele (1.1) in the Netherlands.
She took a top 20 placing in what was her first UCI-ranked race for some time. McDermott was in a 16-rider chasing group that finished 1:20 down on a seven-strong breakaway. The Irish woman will now focus on the Tour Series in the UK.
