Irish riders were in action this weekend in road race action in Australia and at the UCI Cyclocross World Cup in Benidorm, with Megan Armitage and her team getting their season off to the best possible start at Tour Down Under.
Now in her second year with EF Education-Oatly, Armitage has wintered in Australia, meaning she was well used to the baking heat, but was riding Tour Down Under for the first time.
Her Swiss team mate, Noemi Rüegg, was highly fancied going into the race, after a very strong season last year, and she did not disappoint, with Armitage and the rest of the team getting behind the Swiss champion when she took control of the race.
On Saturday's stage 2, Rüegg proved by far the strongest of the select group on the second ascent of Willunga Hill to the finish line, winning the stage solo and taking the race lead.
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Though Chloé Dygert (CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto) won today's final stage, Rüegg was 3rd and easily retained her race lead to claim overall victory. Armitage finished 48th overall, at 14:18 after placing 59th, 31st and 55th on the three stages.
Over in Spain, U16 national cyclocross champion, Caleb McGreevy (VC Glendale), and junior championship race runner-up, Curtis McKee (Spellman Dublin Port), were in action at the UCI World Cup.
McGreevy took a very strong 3rd place in the U16 support race on Saturday and was well in the hunt for victory, which just seconds separating him and the two riders who finished 1st and 2nd.
The experience should prove invaluable for McGreevy when he moves up to junior racing next season and will be in contention for World Cup racing proper.
In the junior men's race today in Benidorm, McKee was the only Irish rider on the start line and put in a solid display. He was 34th, some 3:05 down on winner Mattia Agostinacchio, the Italian who won the European title earlier this season.
