O'Brien is best in National Road Series 'Des Hanlon' Round 2 | Sticky Bottle

*Caoimhe O’Brien has won the Des Hanlon Memorial today, the second round of the Cycling Ireland National Road Series (Photo: Bryan Keane-Inpho)*

Having missed some racing and training of late due to illness, Caoimhe O’Brien (Unattached) has very much confirmed she is back in racing mode, and has recovered well, by claiming victory in the Des Hanlon Memorial in Co Carlow today.

The event, run by Carlow Road Cycling Club, is one of the most prestigious on the domestic scene and was the second round of the Cycling Ireland National Road Series, coming just one week after the opening round at the Donal Crowley Memorial in Blarney, Co Cork.

Despite today's race unfolding on a challenging course, and plenty of aggression through the contest, the battle for victory came down to a group sprint. That was despite big attacks by the eventual winner and also first-year junior Aine Doherty (VC Glendale).

Those moves were neutralised by the other women, with O'Brien winning it in a sprint from her sister Aoife O'Brien (Spellman Dublin Port), the first-year U23 rider who won in Blarney last weekend.

For Irish junior road race champion Ella Doherty, riding for UCD Cycling Club, rounded out the podium in the women's race.

Related News

Lara Gillespie attacks Dolomite stage as Giro hits high mountains

Video - Ireland's Meehan climbs with best on brutal Alpine terrain

"This year was a bit different to last year's course, we had an extra loop so we had to do the hills twice," race winner O'Brien said after the finish. "The group was around 10 people, so I just kind of wanted to break it down a little bit more.

"I put in a good few attacks and one of them stuck for a bit. But then a few people caught me and it all came back together.

"As we were coming down onto the road into the finish it was a big group together. I tried another attack, just to see if I could break it up a little bit and get away.

"But, no, it stuck together and I knew 'it's going to be a sprint finish now'. So I was really happy to get the win when we came to the finish."

Asked if she was fully confident in her ability to win from a group sprint - especially after riding so aggressively - she said she was, but there is always uncertainty in such scenarios.

"This is my third time winning this race in a row so I kinda knew the finish very well," she said. "You never know when you're coming into it, but I knew I could trust my sprint so it was good."