Lara Gillespie dictates key moments at 'Nationals' to seal double

Lara Gillespie stepped up to take responsibility at the key moments in the women's race on her way to completing the road race-TT double (Photo: Caroline Kerley)

In the check list of sprinters that other riders wouldn't want to bring to the finish line at the National Road Race Championships, Lara Gillespie is at the top.

But the UAE Team ADQ rider's third win in a road race nationals, in Co Mayo today, was about far more than her fearsome sprint; splitting it early, and keep the breakaway together late, to set herself up to win.

She went about her business in clinical fashion; taking on the responsibility of shaping the race in its key moments to claim the road race title 48 hours after winning the TT.

The first of those came on the large lap at the start of the 111.6km title race; specifically on the biggest climb during that phase of the race.

Rather than go crazy up it, Gillespie waited and waited and then imposed herself on the false flat across the top, with the others strung out behind her trying to follow.

And late in the day, when Marine Lenehan (Lidl Trek) threw in a searing attack just inside the 2km to go marker, and opened a gap, it was Gillespie who went after her, closing her down.

Emma Jeffers , leading, on her way to elite silver and U23 gold, making for a very rewarding day in the rain of Mayo (Photo: Toby Watson)

In fairness, it was far from a one-woman race. And when Gillespie split the field on that climb, eight other riders had what it took to follow her. They assembled into a breakaway group that went on to compete for the medals.

That group was comprised of: Gillespie, Lucy Bénézet Minns (Team Féminin Chambéry), Emma Jeffers (Liv AlUla Jayco Women's Continental Team), Linda Kelly (Dan Morrissey-Pissei) and defending champion Mia Griffin (Team Picnic PostNL).

Also present were: Greta Lawless (Simpson Nouvelles), Fiona Mangan (Mayenne Monbana My Pie), Aliyah Rafferty (DAS-Hutchinson) and Lenehan.

That group built a lead of three minutes over the next group on the road - the second half of the peloton - and it looked like the chasers were completely out of the fight.

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However, incredibly, the chasing group closed down the gap and in the final passage of the, smaller, finishing circuit, the gap was down to less than 20 seconds.

But, up front, Kelly was doing some hard turns on the front and attacks from the front group also saw them maintain that slender lead and hold off the chasers.

Mangan, the road race and TT champion of two years ago, was among those having a go off the front. And Bénézet Minns then went - the best attack of the final.

Just as she had done last year, when she went close to winning the title in Meath, she went hard, got a gap and stayed out there solo for the longest time.

At one point today she had an advantage of 25 seconds, though it wasn't to be and she was caught.

It was then left to Lenehan to rattle everyone's cage with her late attack. But that was snuffed out by Gillespie, with Griffin on her wheel, leaving both at the front far too early for the final sprint.

However, Gillespie pulled the trigger and powered to her third Irish elite road race crown, just 48 hours after winning the TT. She took the title from Jeffers, with Griffin 3rd.

Then came: Magan in 4th, teenager Rafferty in 5th - a top result - Lenehan 6th, Lawless 7th, Kelly 8th and Bénézet Minns 9th.

Abi Conway (Paralloy RT), trapped in the second group for the day, took the sprint for 10th, just 29 seconds down on the line.

Jeffers did enough to win the U23 title, for the second time, while first-year U23 Rafferty took U23 silver. Lawless claimed the bronze, the off-road specialist clearing able f0r anything she puts her hand to.

Senior-U23 Women's Road Race (111.6km)