Olympic medal-winning sailor Annalise Murphy takes first bike race win

*Annalise Murphy may be completely new to road racing but she wasn't hanging around last night; winning in really impressive style (Photo: Matthew Lysaght - Cycling Ireland)*

A silver medal winner at the Olympic Games in sailing in Rio 2016, Annalise Murphy has taken her first win in a bike race after proving best in Corkagh Park last night.

While Murphy (31) may be new to racing, she is not new to cycling. She also competed in some of Cycling Ireland’s Zwift events during lock-down.

She threw herself into the ‘A Race’ last night, bypassing the chance to start her road racing career in the ‘B Race’; her participation coming just weeks after returning for the Tokyo Games.

Once the flag dropped last night Murphy really backed herself; the confidence that helped get her to the top of world sailing very much in evidence.

There was plenty of action and pressure in the chasing group but Murphy, Shona Keane (Unattached) and Aine Kelly (Orwell Wheelers) were simply too strong and they stayed away to form the podium at the end of the action (Photo: Matthew Lysaght - Cycling Ireland)

Murphy eventually got clear on her own in the closing
stages of the A Race and opened a gap. Though there were several moves off the
front of the bunch trying to bring her back, she proved too strong and rode to
victory.

Murphy initially got away with Shona Keane (Unattached)
and Aine Kelly (Orwell Wheelers). However, she soon got
clear of them, and though Keane and Kelly continued to chase, Murphy was gone.

That leading trio
had started in the A2 group, which got a 30-second handicap on the A1 group.
Murphy, Keane and Kelly attacked before their group was caught and they spent
the rest of the race out front.

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Back in the bunch
Cleo Harvey (Dublin Wheelers), one of the really impressive riders of this
season, attacked in pursuit of the trio ahead.

However, while
those efforts secured 4th place for Harvey on the night, it was Murphy who took
an impressive solo win, with Keane and Kelly surviving for 2nd and 3rd
respectively.

Aideen Keenan
(Dublin Wheelers) took the bunch sprint for 5th place, and won the Masters
category in the process.

The ‘B Race’ was won by Seaghna Campbell (White River Wheelers Cycling) from Jo Lynch (Orwell Wheelers) and Aine MacCarthy (Sorrento CC).