Lara Gillespie led from start to finish
in the women’s race in Killruddery yesterday but while Sean Nolan nearly did the
same, the men’s race was full of drama at the death.
Nolan rode the junior Worlds last year
for Ireland and since stepping up to this season to U23 has been in good form,
already winning on the home scene.
He has been at his best at the Leinster
Cyclocross League and when he lined up in that series yesterday he went for
broke very early at the Co Wicklow venue.
The Navan Road Club man went in an early lead; pulling out a gap of almost 30 seconds on Tim O’Regan (Team Worc) with Niall Davis (Biking.ie) further back, also riding alone.
However, while Nolan opened that gap on
the early laps, it didn’t get any bigger and gradually O’Regan began to close
in on him.
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As he did that, Davis was finished either and he kept at it, closing the gap up to O’Regan.
On the penultimate lap the gaps were
very right at the pointy end and on the final circuit the top trio came
together and changed order.
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O’Regan had just passed Nolan at the end of that penultimate lap and took the lead. Nolan then suffered a mechanical , with Davis passing him and going into 2nd place.
Davis then caught O’Regan and they duo fought out a very competitive two-up sprint for victory with O’Regan getting it.
Davis was right beside him in 2nd and after getting a replacement bike at the pits Nolan hung on for 3rd place. Richie Barry (St Finbarr’s) took 4th place.
In the women’s race Lara Gillespie
(Scott Orwell) took the lead early and pressed hard all the way to win it with
comfort.
The national elite champion had been
crowned Female Rider of the Year at the Cycling Ireland Awards for her Worlds
and Europeans medals on the track this year.
But despite that late night she was in
very good form and took the victory by about three minutes over best of the
rest.
Asia Bula (Scott Donnybrook) took 2nd
place while her team mate, and emerging junior, Stephanie Roche rounded out the
podium on the day.
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