Conor Murphy, the Irish junior road race and TT champion, has roared back into action with a dominant win on the roads of Co Meath today (Photo: Sean Rowe)

Conor Murphy (Caldwell Cycles) has stormed back into action after a short break from racing, taking a really impressive solo win on Saturday evening at the Peter Bidwell Memorial.

The race in Donore, Co Meath, was a combined junior and senior event, run on a handicapped format. Winner Murphy (18) started with the C1 riders and made a move on his own from quite a long way out.

With about 2½ laps to go, amid a period of intense attacking after the groups had come together, Murphy struck out on his own from the bunch and put the head down.

Though he had over 15km to go to the finish, he switched into TT mode and powered his way around the remainder of the race. He opened a gap of just over one minute by the time he raced onto the final passage of the circuit.

And though that gap came down a little before the finish, he was a comfortable winner in the end, with the fight for 2nd and 3rd places behind him won by Oisin Ferrity (Team Caldwell Cycles) and Mark Dowling (All human-VeloRevolution Racing Team) respectively.

Ronan Killeen (Lucan Cycling Road Club) was 4th with Patrick O’Loughlin (Panduit Carrick Wheelers) 5th and Luke Smith (Moynalty Cycling Club) rounding out the top six on the night.

Murphy told stickybottle after the National Road Championships last month – where he won the junior road race and TT titles – he was tired after his Leaving Cert exams. He has taken a short break since the championships, with his return to racing this evening an impressive one.

Sat, July 19th: Peter Bidwell Memorial

Donore, Co Meath

Promoted by Jons Drogheda Wheelers

Senior-Junior Race

  1. Conor Murphy (Team Caldwell Cycles)
  2. Oisin Ferrity (Team Caldwell Cycles)
  3. Mark Dowling (All human/VeloRevolution Racing Team)
  4. Ronan Killeen (Lucan Cycling Road Club)
  5. Patrick O’Loughlin (Panduit Carrick Wheelers)
  6. Luke Smith (Moynalty Cycling Club)
  7. Christopher Marshall (Velo Performance Racing Team)
  8. Daniel Yon Hin (ARBÖ MiKo PV ON-Fahrrad)
  9. Bryan Geary (St Tiernans Cycling Club)
  10. Patrick O’Sullivan (UCD Cycling Club)

Unplaced C2s

  1. Bryan Geary (St Tiernans Cycling Club)
  2. Stephen Hanna (Spellman-Dublin Port)
  3. Artur Michalek (Stamullen RC)

Unplaced C3s

  1. Declan McEntee (Emyvale CC)
  2. Dave Reilly (Emyvale CC)
  3. Kieran McKenna (Ards CC)

Unplaced Juniors

  1. Andrew Connolly (Dungarvan CC)
  2. Curtis McKee (Spellman-Dublin Port)
  3. Bob Maye (Clonard RC)

Women’s Podium

  1. Jennifer Neenan (UCD Cycling Club)
  2. Grace O’Rourke (Spellman-Dublin Port)

Youth Races

U16 Race

  1. Noah Finn (Spin the Bean Power by Coffee)
  2. Eoin Davis (Bohermeen CC)
  3. Tom Hughes (Kilcullen Cycling Club Murphy Geospacial)
  4. Aaron Foley Doran (Carlow RCC)
  5. Craig Ennis (Bohermeen CC)
  6. Evan Byrne (Carlow RCC)
  7. Benjamin Bergin (Lucan Cycling Road Club)
  8. Harry Parnell (Lucan Cycling Road Club)

Girls Podium

  1. Clodagh Quigley (Foyle CC)
  2. Naoise Byrne (TC Racing)
  3. Aoibhe Reilly (Bohermeen CC

U14 Race

  1. Ethan Real (Sliabh Luachra Cycling Club)
  2. Noah Byrne (Carlow RCC)
  3. Olly Millar (Square Wheels)
  4. Daragh Quigley (Foyle CC)
  5. Rory McCool (Square Wheels)
  6. William Hance (Orwell Wheelers Cycling Club)

U12 Race

  1. Nuadha Walsh (Greenmount CA)
  2. Conor Whelan (Bohermeen CC)
  3. Caden Byrne (Carlow RCC)
  4. Jack Farrell (Bohermeen CC)
  5. Jake O’Donovan (Strabane Lifford Cycling Club)
  6. Niall Prendergast (Orwell Wheelers Cycling Club)
  7. Jake McKee (VC Glendale)

Girl’s Winner

  1. Grace Farrell (Bohermeen CC)