Third in 2006 and 2008, Heather Wilson jumped up two places with a strong performance in today’s national road race championships for women in Dunboyne. The Maryland Wheelers rider narrowly pipped US-based Irishwoman Olivia Dillon (Touchstone) to win the coveted champion’s jersey, with junior rider Mary Costello (unattached) taking bronze.
Heather Wilson
The race was on an easier circuit to last year’s course and stayed largely together. Defending champion Siobhan Dervan (Fenixs) tried to get clear on several occasions, but she was closely marked and had to be content with an eventual sixth place.
Wilson and Dillon were also amongst the aggressors, but said afterwards that the course was too flat to really break things up.
On the last of three laps, Sarah Piner (Lakeside Wheelers) and Heather Boyle (Ravens CRT) got away and built up a half-minute lead, but Dervan and the others brought them back. Nobody was able to stay clear on the run in to the finish, setting things up for a bunch gallop and Wilson’s victory over the 2008 time trial champion.
The Ulster woman was very excited by her unexpected sprint victory. “I am delighted, I can’t believe it has happened,” she told Irishcycling.com. “It was such a frustrating race, trying to get away so many times but nothing was staying clear.
“Heather and Sarah did succeed in getting a gap on the last lap. We had to work to get them back in. The field stayed together after that. I tried to get away on the home straight but that didn’t work. So the only way to try to win was to grin and bear it and go for the sprint.”
Heather Wilson talking to Shane Stokes after the race
Her expectations were exceeded there. “My sprint is normally pretty rubbish,” she laughed. “But I was so determined, I wanted it so much. It hasn’t been a great year, so this is brilliant.”
Siobhan Dervan had won the race for the past four years and was going for five in a row. She said beforehand that she was relatively confident in her chances, but ultimately things didn’t work out. Wilson feels that run of success was something that worked against the Corkwoman.
“I think it was a case that she has won it so many years that every time she moved, everybody moved,” she said. “She was going well – she was one of the strongest there. But any time Olivia, myself or Siobhan went, it was just impossible to get away. It was especially tough because there were no definite hills on the course...the drags weren’t long enough and the hills weren’t steep enough. But, that said, it was great to see so many women racing together anyway.”
The national championship victory is the biggest of her cycling career, and will earn her the right to wear the distinctive jersey for a full year. In the months ahead she will relish that, while also working towards other targets. Wilson says that the time trial championship in September is her next big goal; a win there could enable her to chase another objective. “The aim is to get to the worlds again, and make up for last year.”
Olivia Dillon after the race
Today’s race went down to a bike throw and losing out – by a very small margin – was US based Irishwoman Olivia Dillon. “My sprint is normally not bad,” she told Irishcycling.com. “I have a longer sprint, though, so that is why I wanted to jump earlier. Myself and Heather were side by side.. and then somebody was starting to go on the right side. We all went then, but normally I like to get the jump ahead. In the end it was a bit of a bike throw, and she got it.”
Like the race winner, Dillon said that it was very difficult to get away. She explained that she, Wilson and Dervan all made numerous attempts but on each occasion they were marked by the other riders. “It was a very fast course so it was hard to make something stick. We kept trying because we didn’t really want it to come down to a bunch finish. A finish like that doesn’t suit Siobhan and she was very much trying to get away...she did her best, as did I, as did Heather, as did a couple of others. But the pack kept chasing as a group, instead of some riders jumping across.”
The stop-go nature of the race was reflected in the fact that the overall average speed ended up being lower than expected; accelerations would be followed by stalls, and eventually the veterans’ race lapped the women. That led to them being pulled over for a brief period, after which two riders succeeded in getting away and building a decent lead.
“Towards the end a girl from Mullingar [Sarah Piner] had a good gap and Heather Boyle tried to bridge up to her,” continued Dillon. “Once they were gone, a few people were setting tempo on the front and then as they got closer, Siobhan and myself tried to go hard on the one little section that has a nice riser. That closed the gap. A girl from Limerick put in nice move near the end, but she was caught too.”
It has been a good season thus for last year’s time trial champion. She was fourth in stage 5 of Nature Valley Grand Prix earlier this month and netted placings of fifth and sixth in May’s Tour of the Gila. Dillon will fly out of Ireland on Monday and ride a four-day NRC stage race in Pittsburg, starting Thursday.
Next up, a rest. “I have actually been racing since early February, so I will take it easy for a little bit after that. Then I will work up towards the Cascade Classic at the end of July, which is six days long this year. As regards the worlds, I don’t know what the story is with them this year. I don’t know if they have changed the qualifications or anything, but I have been in touch with Phil Leigh [Cycling Ireland’s High Performance Director]. Hopefully I will meet him here and have a chat.”
Olivia Dillon, Siobhan Dervan and Heather Wilson sprinting it out for the line
As for Dervan, she was doubtlessly be disappointed not to take what would have been a fifth consecutive title. She’s got other targets, though; next up is the Giro Donne, starting July 3rd, and then she’ll continue to build form in the hope of posting a strong ride in the world championships. 24th last year is a reflection of what she can do and so, even without the national champion’s jersey, she should be given a slot on the team.
----------
Irish national road race championship, Dunboyne (Day 1 of 2)
Women’s road race championships (3 laps)
1, Heather Wilson (Maryland Wheelers) 83km in 2 hours 15 mins 50 secs
2, Olivia Dillon (Touchstone)
3, Mary Costello (Navan RC)
4, Michelle Geoghegan (Orwell Dundrum)
5, Orla Hendron (Orwell Dundrum
6, Siobhan Dervan (Fenixs) all same time
