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Greenmount Cycling Academy hosted an exceptional weekend of cycling for the 2024 Cyclo-cross National Championships, taking place at Limerick Racecourse.
The action got underway on Saturday with the several youth categories and M50 and M60 races taking place.
Team WORC riders claimed victory in both the M50 and M60 categories. David Lawless defeated World Champion Johnny McCabe in the M60 race. Paul Birchall completed the podium with the top three riders all finishing within just over two minutes of each other.
Robin Seymour won the M50 category, with Alan Bingham coming home in second place and Trevor Woods in third.
James Cunningham from Orwell Wheelers won the Under 14 Boy’s Race, finishing ahead of Josh McClune and Eoin Davis. In the Under 16 Boy’s Spellman-Dublin Port’s Curtis McKee held onto victory ahead of Caleb McGreevy and James Armstrong.
It was another Orwell Wheelers victory in the Under 14 Girl’s race with Katie Turner topping the podium. Aoife Craig finished second and Naoise Byrne third.
Emer Heverine from Kinnings Cycles Cycling Club won the Under 16 Girl’s. Mia Geary took home the silver medal and Cara Suckling claimed bronze.
Sunday saw some of Ireland’s top riders take to the track. The day began with the M40 Race where Glenn Kinning of Kinning Cycles Cycling Club saw off competition from Ronan O’Flynn and Marcus Flavin who finished in second and third respectively.
M40 Cyclo-cross National Champion Glenn Kinning - Photo: Atom Creates
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Speaking to Cycling Ireland following his victory, Kinning said:
“Great course set up here. I got a good start and kept the pressure on all the way, the two guys behind me pushed me the whole way.”
An excellent performance saw Conor Murphy in the Junior Men’s Race, finishing over one minute ahead of Joseph Mullen in second and Michael Collins in third.
Talking about the race Murphy said:
“It was an amazing course, I really enjoyed it. It had a bit of everything in it. I’m just really happy to take the win after a lot of hard work. It was incredible, it means a lot to me.”
Dungarvan Cycling Club won the M40 Team Competition and victory in the M50 Team Competition went to Inspired Cycling.
Harvey Claims Back-to-Back National Championships
Dean Harvey was the rider to watch coming into the final race of the championships. The reigning National champion, he has had a busy Cyclo-cross season and came into today in good form following a block of racing in Belgium among elite international riders.
He won this race in 2023 in dominate and convincing form, and 2024 proved no different. Harvey developed a lead from early on. It was a Trinity Racing one-two, as Kevin McCambridge finished second and Darnell Moore was third.
Reflecting on his win, Harvey said:
“It’s hard when you’re coming in as a favourite and do what you need to do but I’m glad I did what I could do to my best. I’m happy with how it went. It definitely wasn’t an easy race, I think it went as good as it could have gone.
“I really liked the track. It’s a proper cross course, it had a bit of everything in it. The club here did a great job of making the course tough and fast, and good to race on.”
Aliyah Raffety Women's National Cyclo-cross Champion Photo: Atom Creates
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In the Women’s race a strong star from Aliyah Raffety, closely followed by Greta Lawless and Aine Doherty saw the trio extend their lead from the rest of the field.
Raffety proved uncatchable, with a significant lead going into the fifth and final lap victory was inevitable.
Silver went to Greta Lawless and Caoimhe May moved up the leaderboard to win the bronze medal.
The Tofauti Everyone Active rider Rafferty said:
“I started in second row, and I just went as hard from the very start. I moved my way up into second place and then coming into the first technical section I moved into first and then I really went my max for the net few minutes. I got about a ten second gap and then I kept building on it throughout the race. I think I won by about 40 seconds in the end.”
Michelle Geoghegan won the Masters Women’s Race. Jean Wilson and Melissa Anderson completed the podium.
Speaking to Cycling Ireland after her success, Geoghegan said:
“It was a bit frantic in the beginning, I had two crashes in the first lap so that put me on the back foot a little bit. Jean was chasing me hard for the whole race. I think she probably had the better of me on any sections that had any running in them, I could ride all the sand so that’s where I got her. She never gave up – kept me honest for the whole race!”
2024 Cyclo-cross National Championships - Sunday Results
M40 MASTERS MEN
1. Glenn Kinning Kinning Cycles Cycling Club
2. Ronan O'Flynn Orwell Wheelers Cycling Club
3. Marcus Flavin Dungarvan CC
4. Frank McDermott Oldcastle CC
5. Barry Kellett Dromara Cycling Club
6. Evan Ryan Team WORC
7. Barry Convery Newry Wheelers CC
8. Drew McKinley Newry Wheelers CC
9. Alan Lyons Dungarvan CC
10. Peter O'Farrell Team WORC
JUNIOR MEN
1. Conor Murphy Team Caldwell Cycles
2. Joseph Mullen Zappi Racing Team
3. Michael Collins Newcastle West Cycling Club
4. David Gaffney Villeneuve Cycliste
5. Ben O'Keeffe Spellman-Dublin Port
6. Donagh O'Connor Sliabh Luachra Cycling Club
7. Daniel Roberts Orwell Wheelers Cycling Club
8. Jamie Byrne Carlow RCC
9. Seán Fitzgerald Gorey Cycling Club
10. Shane Woulfe Greenmount CA
SENIOR WOMEN
1. Aliyah Rafferty Tofauti Everyone Active
2. Greta Lawless Team WORC
3. Caoimhe May Orwell Wheelers Cycling Club
4. Aine Doherty VC Glendale
5. Maria Larkin null
6. Roisin Lally null
7. Hannah McClorey null
8. Stephanie Roche Scott Racing IRL
9. Doireann Killeen Kilcullen Cycling Club Murphy Geospacial
10. Elena Wallace Harps CC
MASTERS WOMEN
1. Michelle Geoghegan null
2. Jean Wilson Orwell Wheelers Cycling Club
3. Melissa Anderson IMBRC
4. Sally Drennan Midleton CTC
5. Hazel Murphy Yellow Furze Road Club
6. Sinead Rock South-East Road Club
7. Orla Hendron Orwell Wheelers Cycling Club
8. Emma Convey EPIC MTB/Expert Cycles
9. Lorraine Harrington South-East Road Club
SENIOR MEN
1. Dean Harvey Un-Attached Leinster
2. Darnell Moore Team Caldwell Cycles
3. Kevin McCambridge Un-Attached Ulster
4. Travis Harkness Spellman-Dublin Port
5. Jamie Meehan CC Etupes
6. Tadhg Killeen Kilcullen Cycling Club Murphy Geospacial
7. Richard Barry St. Finbarrs CC
8. Kieran Jackson Dungarvan CC
9. Timothy O'Regan All human/VeloRevolution Racing Team
10. Graham Boyd McConvey Cycles