Rian McCrystal of Cycling Ireland has won the Junior Tour of Ireland after needing a time bonus today and getting it, when he was 2nd on the final stage (Photo: Stephen McMahon)
Rian McCrystal (Team Ireland) has won the final yellow jersey at the Quanta Capital Junior Tour of Ireland after a tense finish to the race in Ennis, Co Clare, this afternoon, Sunday.
McCrystal was nudged out of the yellow jersey by Lucas Lillistone (Halesowen Academy-Mapei) yesterday, when he won stage 5 after escaping in a late breakaway that gained nine seconds.
That time gained, and a 10-second time bonus for the stage win, put the British first-year junior into the yellow jersey. But McCrystal was still 2nd and was only three seconds down.
And that tiny gap between them meant, if today's stage came down to a bunch sprint, and if McCrystal or Lillistone could get into the time bonuses, they would win the race overall.
At the finish today, after a 79.1km circuit race in Ennis, the honours were settled in a bunch sprint, won by Scottish rider Fraser Gemmel (Spokes-Oscar Onley Development).
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And then McCrystal placed 2nd - a crucial result - and picked up six bonus seconds. Lillistone was at the head of the peloton also, but he finished outside the time bonuses, back in 9th.
And that meant McCrystal clawed back the three seconds he needed on Lillistone, and some, to win the race outright by three seconds.
It was a cruel way for Lillistone, who won two stages, to lose the jersey.
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However, both he and McCrystal knew they were going into a high stakes finish today. And it was McCrystal who was able to muster the better sprint when the pressure was really on.
He emerges from this race with two stage wins, the final yellow jersey, the points jersey and the first-year junior classification jersey.
The race proved to be an incredibly close contest, reflected in the fact it all came down to the time bonuses today.
Cormac Nagle (Hot Tubes) who, with Lillistone and McCrystal, was one of the riders of the race, won the climbers' classification.
More to come.
Provisional Stage 6 Podium 🏁
🥇 Fraser Gemmell (Spokes–Oscar Onley Development)
🥈 Rian McCrystal (Cycling Ireland)
🥉 Rab Drummond (Team Rauland)Provisional.#JuniorTour2026 #QuantaCapital pic.twitter.com/tqZR4bX85u
— Junior Tour Ireland (@JTIreland1) July 12, 2026
