Lucy O'Donnell wins intense elite battle with U14 Aine Doherty in Kiltiernan | Sticky Bottle

*Lucy O'Donnell on her way to another win; this time in round 3 of the Supercross Cup in Kiltiernan, south Co Dublin*

A winner last weekend in the Leinster Cyclocross Series in Co Meath, Lucy O'Donnell has today claimed the third round of the Supercross Cup.

The Verge Pi Cycles junior rider was best in the elite race in Kiltiernan, south Co Dublin, ahead of Aine Doherty of VC Glendale.

Like O'Donnell in recent years, Doherty has been making a real impression of late and her runner-up place in today's elite contest came despite the fact she is an U14 rider.

Lisa Stapelbroek (Kenmare CC), who has been in flying form in Munster, rounded out the podium.

Niamh McKiverigan (Scott Eurocycles), who has won a number of races already this season, was 4th.

And Darcey Harness, the Carn Wheelers rider who made the Irish team for the Europeans last weekend, completed an impressive top five.

In the end there was just seconds between some of those in the top five and O'Donnell, still a junior, won out at the head of affairs only after Doherty really put it up to her with a fantastic performance.

Aine Doherty in her national champion VC Glendale kit. She's an U14 competitor already impressing against the elites at home and on the UK scene where she has pitted herself against the best of British in recent weeks (Photo: Toby Watson)

In the five-lap race it was young Doherty who got the best start, going around the opening lap in a time of 7:27.

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That was some four seconds quicker than O'Donnell, one second up on McKiverigan and two seconds faster than Stapelbroek.

From that point Doherty kept the hammer down with an impressive absence of fear on the second lap; putting 13 seconds into O'Donnell, 14 into Stapelbroek and 15 into McKiverigan.

On the third lap the gaps remained also identical though O'Donnell began upping the pace relative to the others and was fastest of the fancied women, putting two seconds into Doherty.

And from there O'Donnell hit the afterburners; riding the penultimate lap 18 seconds faster than Doherty and the final lap 21 seconds quicker than her young rival.

However, while O'Donnell simply had too much for Doherty over those last two laps, the younger rider kept her shape very well and her lap times were only marginally slower than earlier in the contest.

In the end O'Donnell won it by 25 seconds after taking control on the last two laps and getting the upper hand on the impressive Doherty.

Stapelbroek was just eight seconds down on Doherty on the finish line in 3rd place.

McKiverigan was only another five seconds back in 4th, just edging out Harkness; one second separating those two.

With 31 riders on the start list and an intense five-way battle at the front it was an extremely competitive women's race.