Orla Walsh and Conor Rowley have been crowned Irish sprint champions for 2022 at the National Track Championships on the Sundrive Road Velodrome in Eamon Ceannt Park, Crumlin, Dublin, today. The championships this weekend were held in conjunction with the UCI-ranked C2 Dublin International GP.
The five-rider field in the women's event saw the flying 200m round got the way of Walsh (Nopinz Motip Race Team) by a big margin. She clocked 11.70 seconds, with Deirbhle Ivory (Bray Wheelers) 2nd on 12.47, Emily Kay (Torelli-Assure-Cayman Islands) 3rd in 12.97. Orla May Harrison (Arcane CT) 4th in 13.61 and Aisling Conlan (Sundrive Track Team) 5th n 15.51.
Walsh went on face Ivory in the gold-silver match, with Walsh winning the best of three contest by taking the first two sprints. Kay faced off against Harrison in the battle for bronze, with Olympian Kay taking the medal by winning the first two sprints.
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In the 11-rider men's sprint title race, Rowley emerged with gold but he did not have it all his own way and was not the fastest in the flying 200m. Eoin Mullen (Black Line) was quickest, in a time of 10.99, with Harvey Barnes (Spellman Dublin Port) next, in 11.10, and Rowley (Blackburn CC) third in 11.22.
Next, in order were: Ryan O'Neill of SES Racing (11.68), Callum O'Toole of Orwell Wheelers (11.75), Eric Gasparro of Black Line (11.98), James Glasgow of East Tyrone CC (11.99) and Richard Toolan of Sundrive Track Team (12.17).
Those eight qualified for the next round and as the competition advanced it resulted in a gold-silver battle between Rowley and Mullen. It was tied one sprint apiece going into the third sprint, where Mullen cramped and Rowley took gold. In the bronze medal match, Barnes beat O'Toole by winning the first two sprints.
In the other events today, which were part of the Dublin International GP only, with national champion Lara Gillespie (UCD Cycling Club) winning a scratch race which also included Danish champion Amalie Winther Olsen (Spellman Dublin Port Cycling Team). In the sprint for victory, Gillespie beat Emily Kay (Torelli-Assure-Cayman Islands) and Italian rider Francesca Selva (T Red Factory Racing).
The men’s scratch was won by British rider Matti Dobbins (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli) from Andre Grennell (Spellman Dublin Port Cycling Team), who won the national title yesterday, and Stephan Caulfield-Dreier (Spellman Dublin Port Cycling Team).
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Dobbins was again on top in the elimination race, claiming it from yesterday's pursuit national title winner Aaron Wade (Team U Cube 17) and Danish rider Andres Fynbo (Spellman Dublin Port Cycling Team).
In the women’s Madison, Ireland’s Kay and Gillespie teamed up to win, with a total of 65 points, from Denmark’s Amalie Winther Olsen (Spellman Dublin Port Cycling Team) and Italian Francesca Selva, who scored 47 points. South African rider Kerry Jonker (Andy Schleck CP NVST) and Gabriella Homer (St Piran) were 3rd on eight points.
