With several Irish women making significant strides in their careers already this year, Saturday's elite-U23 women's road race at the National Road Championships looks set to be a very competitive affair. The riders face an opening loop of 35.4km before moving on to a second, 21.8km, circuit for four laps. The 122.6km race includes 1,500m of elevation gain.
The reigning champion, Alice Sharpe, is back in search of a second consecutive title. Last year she was part of a group of riders from IBCT, which emerged with gold, silver a bronze - via Sharpe, Mia Griffin and Fiona Mangan.
However, with the IBCT having disbanded and the Irish riders having joined other teams, the race should be more open and aggressive tomorrow.
Sharpe started this year riding for Israel Premier Tech Roland Development but three weeks ago moved up to the Israel Premier Tech Roland World Tour team, where she is a team mate of Griffin's at present. However, Griffin is still on the comeback trail after concussion and she will not start tomorrow.
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Sharpe's sprint means she will be very comfortable with a group finish, as was the case last year. However, Megan Armitage is one woman who will be determined to get clear alone. Now riding for Arkéa Pro Cycling Team, she made a brave bid for solo victory last year though her effort was neutralised.
This year she won the final stage at Vuelta Extremadura Féminas (2.2), also claiming overall victory and thus becoming the first Irish woman ever to win a UCI-ranked stage race.
Armitage is also on course to become the first Irish rider to compete in the women's Tour de France this year and wearing the Irish champion's jersey in that event would be epic. She is probably the favourite tomorrow alongside Lara Gillespie (UAE Development Team).
However, Gillespie is a very fast at the end of a hard race and if she comes to the line tomorrow in a group sprinting for victory, it will take a special turn of speed to beat her. She won her first pro race earlier this month - Schellebelle Kermesse in Belgium - and comes into the title race having been competing on the European road scene in recent months.
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Sisters Caoimhe O'Brien (Belco Van Eyck) and Aoife O'Brien (Spellman-Dublin Port) will also definitely count themselves in the medal hunt. Caoimhe was 4th last year, narrowly missing bronze, while Aoife was the junior road race champion two years ago.
Erin Grace Creighton (McConvey Cycles) has really impressed on the track over the last 12 months and it will be interesting to see how she will do against the more established road riders tomorrow.
Imogen Cotter (Fenix-Deceuninck Development) won the title two years ago and is capable of doing it again. It would be a fairytale if she could regain the title tomorrow, especially after a career-threatening crash 18 months ago in Girona.
Fiona Mangan (Soltec Team) completed the women's Vuelta this season and having won the bronze medal last year - after rushing back from a broken collarbone - she is also a potential winner tomorrow. Eve McCrystal (Bellurgan Wheelers) is also a former champion - in both the road race and TT - and can medal again if in form.
Similarly, Linda Kelly (Spin the Bean Power by Coffee), who won bronze in Thursday's TT and was 3rd in the road race two years ago, is also a real contender, as is Ellen McDermott (Team Boompods), the former Irish criterium champion.
Men's junior race
The men's junior race takes place tomorrow morning - with the women's event in the afternoon. The juniors will also do 122.6km, over the same two loops as the women. While there are just 30 junior riders lining out, there is real quality in the field.
Last year's winner - Oisin Ferrity (Team Caldwell Cycles) - is back again and is definitely a contender to win. The top three in Thursday's junior TT are also among those would could win the road crown; Patrick Casey (Anexo Group Race Team), Adam Rafferty (US Colomiers) and Liam O'Brien (Fermoy Cycling Club).
Seth Dunwoody (Cannibal B Victorious) is the only rider in the field to win a UCI-ranked race in Europe this year and that means he is a hot favourite for the Irish title.
Killian O'Brien (Orwell Wheelers Cycling Club) was 3rd in the senior race at the Cycling Ireland National Road Series in Currow, Co Kerry, a couple of weeks ago. He is making a claim for national team selection and tomorrow could be his day.
Others who can impress include: Cal Tutty (Dungarvan CC), Darragh Doherty (Flanders Color Defever Team), Tom Kinsella (iBCi-Team Culture Vélo U19), Josh Callaly (Navan Road Club) and Samuel Coleman (Villeneuve Cycliste).
