McCrystal (16) and Killeen take senior cyclocross wins in Co Meath

*Rían McCrystal has started his junior years strongly, taking a senior win on Sunday at the Leinster Cyclocross Series (Photo: Sean Rowe)*

Rían McCrystal (Bear Cycling) and top masters rider Ronan O'Flynn (Orwell Wheelers) engaged in a great battle for victory in the senior men's race at the Leinster Cyclocross Series in Co Meath on Sunday.

While O'Flynn is an experienced campaigner, and came back hard at young McCrystal on the final lap, the 16-year-old showed impressive grunt to hold off his rival and win, though it was the tightest of finishes.

The eventual winner and runner-up got away solidly from the start of the six-lap race, but it was another one of the juniors, Conor Regan (Kilcullen Cycling Club Murphy Geospacial), who won the opening round of the series two weeks ago, who made the early running.

Regan took off like a rocket and put just over 10 seconds into McCrystal and O'Flynn on the opening lap. He held that lead through the second passage of the circuit, though McCrystal got back to him on the third lap and O'Flynn got him on lap four, of six.

From that point, it became a two-horse race between young McCrystal, who led into the penultimate lap, and O'Flynn. However, Regan put in a very good shift and his challenge for victory really only faded on the fifth lap.

McCrystal had been almost 20 seconds up on O'Flynn after two laps, though the veteran took a couple of seconds back on the third lap. He then rounded the fourth lap 15 seconds faster than race leader, McCrystal, making a real fight of it.

Though the U16 and Masters riders were very closely matched at the front, McCrystal nudged ahead by a few seconds on the penultimate lap, only for O'Flynn to dig in and close right up to the youngster on the final passage of the circuit.

On the line, however, McCrystal showed his hunger to win, and managed to hold off O'Flynn by just one second. For his part, Regan took 3rd place, after a great race, some 35 seconds down on the winner.

The women's race did not serve up the same drama, though the winning margin of Doireann Killeen (Kilcullen Cycling Club Murphy Geospacial) was the talking point. She claimed victory by more than five minutes, after five laps of racing.

Killeen was almost one minute up on Leah McCarthy (K Capital Rocky Mountain) at the end of the first lap, with Fiona Lally (Team WORC) settling into 3rd place, just a few seconds behind McCarthy.

And that was the way it stayed through the contest; the first three riding their own race around the course at Drewstown House in the Oldcastle CC promotion. The only change was the gaps between those riders, which continued to widen lap after lap.

Killeen was never troubled in taking her latest win as she finished 5:19 up on McCarthy, with Lally in 3rd place a further 38 seconds down.

In the U16 boys race, Eoin Davis (Bohermeen CC) continued his romp through these early weeks of the season. He was matched by eventual runner-up, James Cunningham (Team WORC), on the opening lap, but then pulled clear, extending his lead every lap.

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At the finish, after four laps, Davis claimed the win by 58 seconds from Cunningham with Darragh Murphy (Rostrevor) taking 3rd place, 1:45 down on the winner.

In the U16 girls race, Katie Turner (Orwell Wheelers) ran out the very clear winner after three laps of racing. She flew into an early lead, gaining over one minute on the opening lap, and continued in that vein.

At the finish, she won by 3:33 over Ciara O'Connor (Drogheda Wheelers), with Vera Cork Davis (Bohermeen CC) rounding out the podium on the day.

Sun, Nov 2nd | Round 2 Leinster Cyclocross Series

Drewstown House, Co Meath

Promoted by Oldcastle CC

Senior Men’s Race