|
|
|
Last Updated: 23 Sep 2019 - 6:08:21 PM |
National Road Series Women's Leader could Miss Finale
By Scott Graham, Marketing & Communications Manager
18 Sep 2019,
|
Email this article
|
 |
| Women’s Leader Grace Young Could Miss National Road Series Finale in Home County |
WOMEN’S Cycling Ireland National Road Series leader Grace Young could miss the final round at the Cork Grand Prix in Whitechurch this Sunday through injury.
The Strata3/Velo Revolution Racing Team rider has led the National Road Series standings since winning the first round at the Des Hanlon in Carlow in March, finishing in the top four in every race since.
However, Young crashed out of international stage race Ras na mBan less than two weeks ago and broke her collarbone. It ruled her out of the remainder of that race, where she was riding for Team Ireland, and put in doubt her chances of landing the overall Women’s National Road Series title - which she came so close to winning in 2015 too.
“It came down to the last race,” said Young. “Aideen Keenan and I were tied for first place and she won that last race. I finished second, so she beat me by a point.
“I don’t want that to happen again, not when I have worked so hard all season for this, so I am going to do everything in my power to ride on Sunday. But it does look doubtful that I will make it.”
If Young does ride, everything is in her favour, with the Cork Grand Prix being held in her home county on a similar circuit to that of the Munster Road Racing Championships, which she won in August.
Were she to finish fourth or higher, second-placed Maire Claffey (UCD Cycling Club) could do nothing to beat her for the title, but were she not to race at all, Claffey needs only to claim the 22 points for finishing 17th to win.
In the Men’s National Road Series title race, last year’s winner Conor Hennebry holds a far more slender lead. Another Munster Road Race Champion, Hennebry leads his Team Dan Morrissey-MIG.ie-Pactimo team mate James Curry by just 14 points.
Second place for Hennebry would guarantee him back-to-back titles, though he also has Darnell Moore nipping at his heels, the Team Caldwell Cycles rider in third place, only 26 points adrift.
The Men’s National Road Series field will race 100km, and the Women 80km this, starting at 12.30pm and 12.35pm from Race HQ at Buckley’s Bar in Whitechurch, Cork. The Finale of the 2019 Cycling Ireland National Road Series will be covered live on Twitter via @CINatRoadSeries from early this Sunday.
FOR MORE DETAILS:
[ Visit Website ]
|
|
|
|
