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Last Updated: 7 Apr 2018 - 3:31:37 PM |
Wins for McKenna and Smyth in Des Hanlon
By Heather Boyle, CI Communications Officer
25 Mar 2018,
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RESULTS: McKenna and Smyth Win First Round of the National Road Series, Des Hanlon 25th March
SEAN McKENNA and Katharine Smyth have become 2018’s first leaders of the Cycling Ireland National Road Series, after hard-fought victories in the Des Hanlon Memorial Road Race in Carlow on Sunday
McKenna, 24, was riding for Yorkshire-based outfit Holdsworth Bikes, when taking a five-man sprint over Jamie Blanchfield (Panduit Carrick Wheelers) and last year’s Men’s National Road Series winner Sean Lacey (Viner Caremark Pactimo).
The Dubliner, winner of Carlow Road Cycling Club’s race in 2016, had spent the majority of the hilly 150km in a breakaway of 11 men, their gap back to the surviving bunch at one stage ballooning to 2’ 30”.
However, after the final climb up from Bilboa village, the breakaway was down to a select five - McKenna, Blanchfield, Lacey, James Davenport (Strata3 Velo Revolution), and Cian Sutcliffle (Gerard DHL) - and the bunch had closed so rapidly, they could nearly see the hares dangling.
A nail-biting downhill finish to the Carlow Mart ensued, McKenna sprinting to win, moments before the bunch itself sprinted for minor placings.
McKenna said: “I had a lot of my team mates here, but they wouldn’t be used to that style of racing - it was kind of mad, as usual. I was lucky to follow a few smart heads and get into the break, and it was a day of up-and-over then.
“The finish was something similar to when I won before, coming in on your hands and knees for a sprint. It’s so hard in a race like that, it doesn’t matter who the fastest sprinter is, it’s just who has the freshest legs at the end of the day.
“Lacey pushed me close, that’s for sure, and Jamie rode very well all day, with Davenport. It’s hard to beat those lads, I’m not gonna lie, so I’m happy out.”
McKenna will continue early season in Ireland next weekend, racing Ras Mumhan in Kerry for the Irish National team. Focus then turns to the British Cycling Premier Calendar road racing series with Holdsworth, which last week received a coveted invitation to international stage race Tour de Yorkshire (May 3-6).
McKenna’s Des Hanlon victory puts the rider at the top of the Cycling Ireland National Road Series Men’s Leaderboard, while atop the Women’s is last year’s runner-up Katharine Smyth.
The Team Madigan rider led a four-woman escape up the penultimate climb on the first lap, and made her race-winning move at the top. Attacking over the summit, Smyth raced alone for the remainder of the 84km race, crossing the line 2’ 40” clear of Nessa Rochford (De Ronde Van Cork CC) and Michelle Geoghegan (Autocars).
Smyth said: “Going up the first climb Michelle lifted the pace and the group seemed to split into about four, then going over the Prime (Yellow Road) I lifted it again and found myself on my own. I thought, ‘I’ll wait on them, just cycle at my own pace,’ but the gap kept opening. It was a long way to go by myself. I just put the head down and went as hard as I could.”
She laughed: “I miss my friend Eve (McCrystal); I think I would have had some company definitely if she had been here. I’m looking forward to seeing her in the next round.”
Eve McCrystal, winner of last year’s Women’s National Road Series, missed Round 1 due to commitments as pilot for Katie George-Dunlevy at the UCI 2018 Para-cycling Track World Championships in Rio. The pair on Saturday night won a Bronze medal in the Women’s B Tandem 3km Individual Pursuit.
Round 2 of the Cycling Ireland National Road Series is hosted by Blarney Cycling Club at the Donal Crowley Memorial Road Race in Blarney, County Cork on Sunday, April 15.
RESULTS SUMMARY
Women:
Katharine Smyth (Team Madigan)
Nessa Rochford (De Ronde Van Cork CC)
Michelle Geoghegan (Autocars)
Men:
Sean McKenna (Holdsworth Bikes)
Jamie Blanchfield (Panduit Carrick Wheelers)
Sean Lacey (Viner Caremark Pactimo)
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PREVIEW: National Road Series 2018 – First Round Des Hanlon 25th March
CARLOW will host the opening round of the 2018 Cycling Ireland National Road Series this Sunday, with a new, tougher route, starting and finishing in the town.
Run by Carlow Road Cycling Club and sponsored by Dan Morrissey & Co, the Des Hanlon Memorial Road Race will take the Men's National Road Series field over a challenging 150km route, and the Women's over 84km of the same course.
The route has changed markedly from last season's 36th editions, won by Darragh O’Mahoney and subsequent Women's champion Eve McCrystal.
Race director Paul Keane explained: “There was call to make the course tougher after last year so we've tried to answer that, while maintaining the connection with the town.
“All races will start in the town and head out towards Castlecomer, up onto a ridge and a 33km circuit.”
Basing the majority of the race on the ridge adds plenty of climbing - the men travelling 4 laps of that circuit, and the women 2 - with the pelotons returning to their start point for a flat finish.
The Women's National Road Series will take on extra significance from Sunday, as the races are set to serve as part of a selection mechanism for the Irish Team at Rás na mBan 2018 – all riders interested in selection are encouraged to compete in the series.
National coaches and selectors are looking at this race series and the performance of riders in these races as indicators of form and performance potential.
Sign on opens at 10am in Toughers Restaurant, Dublin Road, Carlow, with a rolling start to all races beginning at 12.20pm.
Expected in the men's line up is a strong showing from the team of the season so far, Viner Caremark Pactimo, who have already won the Lacey Cup in Kerry with Matteo Cigala, Conor Hennebry taking Rás Naomh Finian in Clonard for the team, and the Bobby Power Memorial in Carrick-On-Suir going to Sean Lacey, the winner of the past two Men's National Road Series’.
Last year's overwhelming Women's Champions Eve McCrystal will miss the Des Hanlon due to commitments as pilot for Paralympian Katie George-Dunlevy at the World Championships in Rio - where the pair won time trial Gold and road race Silver back in 2016.
Also missing is rising star Órla Walsh, now based in Mallorca and focusing on the track, but Sunday's women's race is expected to welcome McCrystals staunchest rivals Katharine Smyth, former series winner Claire McIlwaine, and a host of emerging talent.
Follow Cycling Ireland National Road Series on Facebook and Twitter for live updates throughout this year's Des Hanlon.
Rankings will be updated at this link within a week of each round: http://www.cyclingireland.ie/page/disciplines/road/national-road-series1
More info:
Cycling Ireland: www.cyclingireland.ie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CyclingIrelandNationalRoadSeries/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CINatRoadSeries or @CINatRoadSeries
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