Irish amateur riders have been in action at the UCI Grand Fondo World Championships, with two taking medals, another going very close - against former top pro riders - and several other Irish cyclists finishing in the top 10 in their races.
Best of the bunch was Marine Lenehan (Dan Morrissey - Primór by Pissei), who took silver in the 19-34 Years women's world title race; adding that medal to the gold she won at the Europeans earlier in the season.
Her event ended in a sprint from a 19-rider group - after 4½ hours or racing - with Lenehan just edged out for the world title by Emily Proud (Great Britain), with Canadian Michelle Gagnon 3rd at one second.
Ireland's other medal winner, from a packed day of action, was Julie Rae (Phoenix CC) who took bronze in the women's 55-59 event. The title was won by Belgium's Annick Van Leuven after 2hrs 27mins, with Ina Pfuhler (Germany) 2nd and Rae 3rd, both at four seconds and in a group of 11 riders that formed at the front for the final.
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In the most competitive men's race - the 19-34 years category with a whopping 278 starters, Irish-based Italian - and frequent coaching contributor to stickybottle - Matteo Cigala (Dan Morrissey-Primór by Pissei) too silver, 14 seconds behind winner Lars van Coppenolle (Belgium). Matthias Studer (Switzerland) was 3rd, on the same time as Cigala, who were part of a 20-rider group at the finish.
Also in that race, top Irish A1 rider Lindsay Watson (Powerhouse Sport) was 19th at just 19 seconds, at the back of the first group on the road, which split a little at the finish.
In the men's 40-44 years world title race, Paul Kennedy (Burren CC) also put in a great performance but took the loneliest placing of all; 4th place, just outside the medals. That title was won by former Dutch national champion Johnny Hoogerland from Denmark's Jeppe Tolbøll and Belgium's Carlo Porco.
After 4hrs of racing, Kennedy was just two seconds down on the winning and only narrowly edged out by Porco for the bronze and they were part of a five-man group that finished two minutes up on the next riders on the road.
Alan Bingham (Newry Wheelers) was 12th in the 45-49 years race while is team mate, Des Woods, placed 8th in the 55-59 race. Lorraine Mullarkey was 8th in the women's 35-39 years race.
UCI Gran Fondo World Championships
Glasgow, Scotland
Men 19-34 Years (278 Starters)
1 VAN COPPENOLLE Lars BELGIUM 3:51:20
2 CIGALA Matteo ITALY +0:14
3 STUDER Matthias SWITZERLAND +0:14
19 WATSON Lindsay IRELAND +0:19
222 RYAN Simon IRELAND +31:24
Men 35-39 Years (153 Starters)
1 SZCZEPANIK Wojciech POLAND 3:59:11
2 PORCO Fabio BELGIUM +0:01
3 KIRCHMAIR Stefan AUSTRIA +0:01
65 PHILLIPS Jamie IRELAND +6:26
125 GREER Barry IRELAND +26:32
Men 40-44 Years (178 Starters)
1 HOOGERLAND Johnny NETHERLANDS 4:02:59
2 TOLBØLL Jeppe Heinfelt DENMARK +0:00
3 PORCO Carlo BELGIUM +0:02
4 KENNEDY Paul IRELAND +0:02
78 MOYNIHAN Cathal IRELAND +9:28
Men 45-49 Years (179 Starters)
1 ELLINGSEN Jone NORWAY 4:07:03
2 BRITO Carlos PORTUGAL +0:00
3 VERSTRAETE Peter BELGIUM +0:03
12 BINGHAM Alan IRELAND +0:25
123 O'HIGGINS Cahir IRELAND +13:03
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Men 50-54 Years (217 Starters)
1 VINOKUROV Alexandr KAZAKHSTAN 4:05:22
2 PATIÑO Raul SPAIN +0:01
3 JACH Adrian POLAND +0:04
30 1923 WATT Nigel IRELAND +8:10
50 HENRY Jason IRELAND +9:27
65 MCNEILL Shane IRELAND +9:31
101 SWEETMAN Craig IRELAND +16:40
102 BUTLER Paul IRELAND +16:40
103 CAREY Shaun IRELAND +16:40
142 GLEESON Vincent IRELAND +21:22
146 O CONNELL Eoin IRELAND +21:30
205 COX Patrick IRELAND +1:19:20
Men 55-59 Years (172 Starters)
1 SCHAEFER Michael GERMANY 4:09:48
2 VAN DE PERRE Lieven BELGIUM +0:00
3 HERVE Pascal CANADA +0:01
8 WOODS Des IRELAND +5:06
29 MCCANN Chris IRELAND +11:47
49 REILLY Chris IRELAND +12:00
DNF MCCRORY Liam IRELAND
Men 60-64 Years (136 Starters)
1 FJELDAVLIE Jørn NORWAY 2:14:57
2 PEARS Rob GREAT BRITAIN +0:01
3 TWELVES Mike GREAT BRITAIN +0:01
23 MURPHY Joseph IRELAND +0:10
42 DALY Tony IRELAND +0:16
90 MCGREADY Colin IRELAND +9:30
Men 65-69 Years (82 Starters)
1 ADAMS Sylvan ISRAEL 2:19:22
2 SALAZAR Arnaldo BOLIVARIAN REPUBLIC OF +0:06
3 PAFFEN Ron NETHERLANDS +0:31
45 CUSACK Michael IRELAND +0:43
Women 19-34 Years (55 Starters)
1 PROUD Emily GREAT BRITAIN 4:35:27
2 LENEHAN Marine IRELAND +0:00
3 GAGNON Michelle CANADA +0:01
Women 35-39 Years (51 Starters)
1 DE JONG Wies NETHERLANDS 4:35:27
2 KNAEPS Kim BELGIUM +0:01
3 PASAR Petra SLOVENIA +0:02
8 MULLARKEY Lorraine IRELAND +3:17
10 FURSDEN Vanessa IRELAND +3:18
Women 40-44 (43 Starters)
1 WILKINSON Mary GREAT BRITAIN 4:30:27
2 SUTTER Claudia SWITZERLAND +0:03
3 CEPAK Lina SLOVENIA +0:04 35.266
30 WHITE Suzanne IRELAND +42:01
Women 50-54 (47 Starters)
1 PHILLIPS Amy UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 2:27:48
2 STIENEN Jutta SWITZERLAND +0:01
3 GORINI Michela ITALY +0:01
25 D'ARCY Eimear IRELAND +7:35
Women 55-59 (44 Starters)
1 VAN LEUVEN Annick BELGIUM 2:27:50
2 PFUHLER Ina GERMANY 2:27:54 +0:04
3 REA Julie IRELAND +0:04
