Winning riders clock up huge kilometre totals in Mondello 24-hour race

*The Mondello 24 hour race was held at the weekend, with over 300 riders lining out in the solo race or as part of teams containing between two and six riders*

Philip Culbert, the veteran endurance racer, has won the solo category in the Mondello 24hr race, clocking up 199 laps of the course for a massive total of 696.5km.

The 51-year-old Dublin-based rider, who won Race Around Ireland (on just two 'power naps) three years ago, was just one lap ahead of late entrant Andrew Agnew.

DB Cycling Club rider Agnew rode 198 laps of the motor racing circuit in Co Kildare over the allotted 24-hour period.

*The riders get ready to run to their bikes and get their 24 hours of pain underway at Mondello Park*

Endurance racer Ciaran Breslin, who was hit hard by Covid-19 during the height of the pandemic, has clearly recovered as he took 3rd in the solo category with 192 laps.

Karen Cassidy won the women's solo race, riding a total of 171 laps, or 598.5km, in the 24-hour event.

The Galway-based convert to cycling, who comes from a triathlon background, put in one of the rides of the weekend as she was 6th in the joint male and female solo rider field.

*The riders faced some challenging conditions overnight when it got wet and cold*

The four-rider team category winners, UCD Cycling Club, clocked up the biggest distance of any of the teams or individual riders taking part. Given their line-up – comprised of very strong road racing riders – it was perhaps no surprise they went furthest in the time allowed.

Rhys Kenny, Jason Kenny, Conor Gallagher and Sean Landers combined to ride 252 laps, for a tally of 882km.

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Spin The Bean won the six-rider category and they also had some well-known top road riders in their line-up, including star turn Linda Kelly. She was one of the breakthrough riders of 2021 after taking bronze in the elite women’s race at the National Road Championships.

Kelly rode the Mondello 24 with Diarmuid O’Brien, Alan Mackey, Darren Davitt, Patrick McCaffery and Philip White and they completed 246 laps, or 861km.

The race started 12 noon on Saturday and ran through to 12 noon on Sunday under the watchful eye of race director Padraig Marrey. Riders faced challenging night conditions with rain and strong winds.

After last weekend’s inaugural edition, the event is set to become an annual fixture on the Mondello Park calendar.

More to come.