Lydia Boylan spoke to Shane Stokes after winning the Irish title again; arguably the best of her three wins (Photo: Sean Rowe)
Lydia Boylan on becoming national champ again
Lydia Boylan has expressed her delight at winning her third straight Irish title on the road.
The Team WNT pro rider came home alone at the end of the elite women’s contest of the National Road Championships in Co Wexford today.
And she adds her 2017 crown to the title she won in Kilcullen last year and in Omagh the year before.
Today she sprang on the final climb of Codd’s Lane with just under 5km remaining. And from there it was a question of putting her head down all the way.
In the end she reached the finish alone – unlike her sprint wins of the last two years – and had 7 seconds to spare over the group of eight chasers.
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Boylan said having ridden the course before the race she felt the field could possibly split but she could also see it staying together.
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While she hoped for a windy day to break things up, she said with little wind but a tailwind up the finishing straight she was concerned on the last lap.
“I panicked a bit with the group being so big,” she said, adding she was grateful to have team mate Josie Knight to help.
“Our game plan was just to go hard on that last climb. Yeah it happened, but there was definitely some panic moments thinking ‘have I lost it all by going so early?’”.
"It was a tough 4km to the finish; I was almost going to sit up at one stage because I thought they were going to catch me.”
And having been champion for the last two years she said she was closely watched. However, wearing the champion’s jersey meant a huge amount to her.
“It’s one of the only races I get super nervous for every year; I want it so much.”
She added while the race was stopped with about half a lap to go to allow the men’s race pass, she did not believe it affected the outcome.
Shane Stokes grabbed Boylan for an interview after she'd won, you can have a listen to the full piece below.
Lydia Boylan speaks to Shane Stokes in Wexford
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