The rain that marred the first half of the day disappeared by the time the Women’s Elite and U23 race got underway in Co. Meath.
Elite Women on first lap
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The race saw no major attacks initially, until the main bunch finally split into three groups on the road at around the 35km mark. The leading group of ten riders could not shake each other, despite several attacks from reigning National Champion Fiona Mangan and U23 rider Lucy Benezét Minns. Benezét Minns eventually got a break going into the last lap, with the gap reaching 17 seconds at it’s widest point. The group of 9 riders behind left it until just 2km from the end to catch the Lotto rider, setting up a bunch sprint to decide the title.
Elite Women Finish
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Mia Griffin, riding with Roland, is no stranger to sprint finishes, and used her experience to edge out Cinisca’s Caoimhe O’Brien and Dan Morrisey rider Marine Lenihan at the line.
Griffin, taking her first National Championship, said afterwards: “I’ve dreamed of winning a National Championship for so long, it honestly just hasn’t set in yet.” Speaking about trying to catch Benezét Minns, she added: "I know when Lucy gets a good lead she can really suffer and push through, so I was determined to make sure we worked together in the group to catch her.”
The Elite race was also combined with the U23 race. Narrowly missing out on the overall podium, Emma Jeffers of Liv Alulu Jayco took the U23 title. She finished ahead of Das Hutchinson’s Aoife O’Brien and Westport’s Abi Conway. Jeffers said afterwards “It was a pretty tough race honestly, on a course that doesn’t really suit me. I’ve been trying to find my form recently, and at times today I was just trying to hang on. I was cramping pretty bad coming into the finish and didn’t think I had anything left but I dug deep and managed to find it.”
Junior Women break on first lap
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The Junior Women’s race took off a few minutes after the Elite/U23. Aliyah Rafferty took a big lead early on and managed to hold it for the duration. Dawson Racing’s Greta Lawless and Dungarvan’s Aoife O’Donovan battled to try and close the gap, but ultimately ended up second and third respectively. Rafferty, riding for Tofauti, added the road race National Championship to her Time-Trial National Championship won on Thursday evening.
Junior Women Winner
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Junior Men break on 2nd lap
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The Junior Men’s race was a shootout from start to finish earlier in the day. A trio of Conor Murphy, James Armstrong and Rory Condon made an early break. Murphy and Condon eventually managed to shake Armstrong, who was eventually caught by the two chasers Darragh Byrne and Matthew Walls.
Junior Men Winner
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Murphy managed to shake Condon, and ultimately rode solo to the win ahead of Condon in second. Walls and Byrne ended up in a sprint for third, with Byrne coming out on top.
Eyes now turn to tomorrow’s Men’s Elite race.
FULL RESULTS (All Finishers)
2025 Cycling Ireland Elite Women (inc. U23) Road Race National Championships
Distance: 120.60 km Average speed: 37.86 km/h
Elite Women Podium
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1. Mia GRIFFIN Roland 3:11:06 3:11:06
2. Caoimhe O'BRIEN Cynicsa Cycling 3:11:06 ''
3. Marine LENEHAN Dan Morrissey Pissei Cycling Team 3:11:06 ''
Under 23 Women Podium
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4. Emma JEFFERS U23 Liv AlUla Jayco 3:11:06 ''
5. Aoife O'BRIEN U23 DAS - Hutchinson 3:11:06 ''
6. Fiona MANGAN Winspace Orange Seal 3:11:06 ''
7. Abi CONWAY U23 Westport Covey Wheelers Cycling Club 3:11:06 ''
8. Linda KELLY Spin the Bean Power by Coffee 3:11:06 ''
9. Aine DOHERTY U23 Dan Morrissey Pissei Cycling Team 3:11:11 +5
10. Lucy BENEZET MINNS U23 Lotto Ladies 10131174292 3:11:18 +12
11. Gabrielle FOX Greenmount CA 3:18:05 +6:59
12. Esther WONG U23 Torelli 3:18:05 ''
13. Grace REYNOLDS Smurfit Westrock Cycling Team 3:20:36 +9:29
14. Nicola LYNCH Newmarket Cycling & Triathlon Club 3:20:39 +9:33
15. Jemma SPEERS North Down CC 3:26:10 +15:03
16. Doireann KILLEEN U23 Kilcullen Cycling Club Murphy Geospacial 3:26:12 +15:05
17. Elena WALLACE U23 Harps CC 3:26:21 +15:14
18. Rhianna HENEGHAN Castlebar Cycling Club 3:26:21
2025 Cycling Ireland Junior Women Road Race National Championships
Distance: 60.30 km Average speed: 37.66 km/h
Junior Women Podium
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1. Aliyah RAFFERTY Tofauti Everyone Active Majaco 1:36:04 1:36:04
2. Greta LAWLESS Dawson Racing 1:38:45 +2:41
3. Aoife O'DONOVAN Dungarvan CC 1:38:45 ''
4. Ella TANDY Tofauti Everyone Active Majaco 1:43:00 +6:56
5. Ffion DOLAN TC Racing 1:43:00 ''
6. Sophie ENGLISH Bohermeen CC 1:43:00 ''
7. Ami FLAVIN Dungarvan CC 1:43:00 ''
8. Holly McCAFFREY Longcourt Hotel - NCW Wheelers 1:50:32 +14:28
2025 Cycling Ireland Junior Men Road Race National Championships
Distance: 120.60 km Average speed: 43.93 km/h
Junior Men Podium
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1. Conor MURPHY Team Caldwell Cycles 2:44:42 2:44:42
2. Rory CONDON Zappi Racing Team 2:46:04 +1:22
3. Darragh BYRNE Asvillemur Cyclisme 2:46:48 +2:06
4. Matthew WALLS Lucan Cycling Road Club 2:46:48 ''
5. James ARMSTRONG VC Glendale 2:47:24 +2:42
6. Toby SWEETMAN VC Glendale 2:47:44 +3:02
7. Hugh Og MULHEARNE Asvillemur Cyclisme 2:47:46 +3:04
8. Callum McCAFFREY Saxun - Extrusax- Primoti 2:47:53 +3:11
9. Fionn KILLEEN Kilcullen Cycling Club Murphy Geospacial 2:48:09 +3:27
10. Philip O'CONNOR Dungarvan CC 2:48:11 +3:29
11. Maximilian FITZGERALD JEGG-DJR Academy 2:48:11 ''
12. Luca HOLMES Molenspurters Meulebeke 2:48:11 ''
13. Jack WOODS Crabbe Dstny 2:48:11 ''
14. Dan LANE Dan Morrissey Pissei Cycling Team 2:48:11 ''
15. Curtis McKEE Spellman-Dublin Port 2:48:11 ''
16. Colin SHEEHAN O'Leary Stone Kanturk 2:48:11 ''
17. Ciaran O'SULLIVAN Greenmount CA 2:48:11 ''
18. Adam MATTHEWS Banbridge CC 2:48:11 ''
19. Jack LAWLESS Gorey Cycling Club 2:48:11 ''
20. John O'MAHONY Newcastle West Cycling Club 2:48:15 +3:33
21. George SEVASTOPULO Sundrive Track Team 2:48:15 ''
22. Diarmuid COLLINS Newcastle West Cycling Club 2:48:19 +3:37
23. Luke KEHOE Lucan Cycling Road Club 2:55:40 +10:58
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Pictures above are from video and a video of these races will be posted later in the week