O'Brien sisters, 19 & 17, make their mark at elite National Road Series | Sticky Bottle

*Caoimhe O'Brien takes her first big win on the road at elite level - the 19-year-old best at the John Beggs Memorial, part of the Cycling Ireland National Road Series (Photo: Inpho Sports Photography)*

Having been very successful on the road and track in
recent years, Caoimhe O’Brien has taken her first big win at elite level after
proving best in the John Beggs Memorial on Saturday.

The 19-year-old came to the line in what little remained
of the peloton - a very small select group – at the end of round 2 of the
Cycling Ireland National Road Series.

And though she was up against an impressive form rider in
the shape of Fiona Mangan, when O’Brien pulled the trigger she proved best and
took a great win.

Mangan, who had won the overall and three stages at the Newcastle West Stage Race two weeks ago, had to settle for 2nd place this time around; beaten by last year's runner-up in the junior National Road Championships.

We have a Round 2 winner of the women’s #NRS2021 Caoimhe O’Brien of Torelli
takes the win with Fiona Mangan holding on for second. Fiona looks like she retains the leadership. A sister act here with Aoife O’Brien in the Junior ranks taking third. Congratulations. pic.twitter.com/95iCrusrsy

— Cycling Ireland (@CyclingIreland) August 14, 2021

Tucked in behind the winner and runner-up, and having put in a fantastic performance, was young junior rider Aoife O’Brien; the 17-year-old completing a podium topped by her older sister.

Caoimhe O’Brien (Torelli-Assure-Cayman
Islands-Scimitar) took that victory
having just returned from the UK where she rode three rounds of the Tour Series
with her team.

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Yesterday, with two laps of the undulating 32km course to complete, the women’s elite-junior race was characterised by plenty of attacking.

During one such move, eventual winner O’Brien got clear with Sharon Bird, the Ballymena Road Club ride who had won the opening TT stage at the Newcastle West Stage Race last month.

*Series leader Mangan on the front of the lead group during the women's race in Dromore (Photo by Inpho Sports Photography - Cycling Ireland)*

However, while they made for a strong duo off the front, they were caught by the chasing group. Unlike the men’s race, where a seven-man breakaway went clear, the women’s event proved a war of attrition.

Instead of an
attacking group going off the front, the bunch got smaller and smaller on the
undulating course in Dromore until only about a dozen riders remained nearing
the finish.

On the incline
just before the home straight, a group of four pressed on; the O’Brien sisters,
Mangan and Darcey Harkness (VC Glendale).

Mangan, the series leader after her win in Limerick two weeks ago, took it up just before the sprint started. When she attacked as the road kicked up she gained a gap, with O’Brien responding and her sister and Harkness also reacting.

*Caoimhe O'Brien, leads the final sprint, from Fiona Mangan, Aoife O'Brien and Darcy Harkness, with Becky Woods and Heather Foley just behind the leading quartet* *(Photo by Inpho Sports Photography - Cycling Ireland)*

Once those four had pulled clear, O’Brien kicked for the line with about 200 metres remaining and took the win from Mangan (Greenmount CA), Aoife O’Brien (Torelli-Assure-Cayman Islands-Scimitar) and Harkness.

Just seconds later came Becky Woods (All Human-VeloRevolution), Heather Foley (Yeats Country Cycling Club), Sharon Bird (Ballymena Road Club) and Carthach McCarthy (Blarney Cycling Club).

Mangan retains the series lead after her 2nd place yesterday, while Aoife O’Brien is junior series leader thanks to her 3rd place, which won her the junior race within the combined elite-junior event.