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Last Updated: 27 May 2022 - 9:05:03 AM |
Teggart chasing fourth consecutive win in National Road Series
By Ciara O’Shea, Cycling Ireland
26 May 2022,
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Press Release: 26/05/2022
Battle heats up for women and juniors
Matthew Teggart heads into this Sunday’s penultimate round of the Cycling Ireland National Road Series chasing what would be an extraordinary fourth successive victory. The WiV SunGod rider was victorious in the three previous rounds in the series, winning the Des Hanlon Memorial in Carlow on March 20th, the Darach McCarthy and Co Solicitors road race in Knockaderry, Limerick, on April 9th and then the Sean Nolan Meath Grand Prix in Dunshaughlin last Sunday.
Teggart will line out in the senior men’s race in Sunday’s Brian O’Loughlin Memorial in Cong, Co. Mayo hosted by Cunga Cycling Club as the red-hot favourite. He has amassed a total of 120 points and with the next-nearest riders in the series on 62 points, Conor Murnane (UCD Cycling Club) and Luke Smith (Moynalty Cycling Club) have a huge amount to do if they are to challenge for the final overall honours.
Although the final round (the John Beggs Memorial, Co. Down, August 20th) will offer double points, Teggart’s considerable advantage means he is in a very strong position overall.
If he were to win on Sunday, and either Murnane or Smith finish second, Teggart would then hold a sizeable 63 point advantage over that rider heading into the concluder.
Perhaps mindful of that, Teggart said last Sunday that he was setting his sights on the final overall victory.
“I am in the best place I possibly could be after three rounds,” he said. “So I am delighted with that. And I suppose the aim now is just to hang on, win it overall. To win it outright, that will be the target.”
His most recent victory saw him win the Sean Nolan Meath Grand Prix in a four man sprint, beating Smith, Darnell Moore (Caldwell Cycles) and David Montgomery (Spellman Dublin Port) to the line.
Eve McCrystal was best in the women’s race, breaking clear on the final lap and soloing in alone. She was well ahead of Irish junior road race champion Aoife O’Brien (Torelli Cayman Islands Scimitar) and Gabriele Glodenyte (Unattached).
However McCrystal only picked up points in that most recent round, meaning that Erin Grace Creighton (McConvey Cycles) is the series leader. She has 83 points, three more than Caoimhe O’Brien (Torelli-Assure-Cayman Islands-Scimitar) and ten more than the latter’s sister Aoife O’Brien (Torelli-Assure-Cayman Islands-Scimitar).
Creighton finished seventh last Sunday but was third and second respectively in the opening two rounds. Caoimhe O’Brien had won those races but did not compete last Sunday, missing out on the chance to maintain her overall lead.
The junior men’s series is also shaping up to be a close battle, with overall leader Patrick O’Loughlin (Panduit Carrick Wheelers) being chased by the winner of rounds two and three, Adam Gilsenan (Club Ciclisto Canturino).
Gilsenan normally competes in Italy but is back in Ireland for his leaving certificate and is focussed on riding as well as possible in the National Road Series. He didn’t race in Carlow but was victorious in Knockaderry and Dunshaughlin, putting him 15 points adrift of O’Loughlin. With 40 points available for the winner on Sunday he is keen to keep his momentum going.
“I didn’t ride the first round, so I am missing a lot of points there. But I suppose I will be up there [overall], some boys are missing today as well,” he said shortly after Sunday’s race, and before the latest tally was calculated. “So we will see how it bears out.”
Gilsenan’s latest win saw him outsprint Sam Moloney (Greenmount CA) and Quillan Donnelly (Usher Irish Road Club). Donnelly is third overall in the series, 20 points behind O’Loughlin and five behind Gilsenan.
Sunday’s Brian O’Loughlin Memorial will take place on a fast, undulating circuit starting and finishing at Cong, Co.Mayo. The race will feature spectacular scenery along the shores of Lough Corrib.
The A1, A2, A3 and junior men will compete five laps for a total of 140 kilometres. The senior and junior women will do four laps in their race, which will be 112 kilometres.
Both events are scheduled to start at noon.
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