Daniel Brickenden Wins Cross-country National Series
The fifth and final round of the 2024 Cross-country National Series took place on Sunday at Bellurgan Park, Co. Louth. Hosted by Bellurgan Wheelers, the series finale attracted large entries across all categories.
Men’s Results
Coming into the final leg there was little separating the top riders in the Senior 1 Open category. A fourth place finish on Sunday, proved enough for Daniel Brickenden to win the series. The Team WORC rider finished on 86 points.
Gareth McKee, riding for Cycleology Racing Team was second in the overall standings on 73 and Graham Boyd completed the series podium on 63 points for McConbey Cycles. Geoffrey Robinson was fourth.
Chrisopher Dawson recorded his second series victory of the season on Sunday to leave him in fifth place overall.
Team WORC riders Sean Feeney and Michael Maher finished first and second respectively in the Senior 2 Open race, with Conor Campbell completing the podium for Cuchulainn Cycling Club. Feeney also claimed the series title.
Colm Bradley won the final leg of the Senior 3 Open for EPIC MTB Expert Cycles. Harry Rochford, Orwell Wheelers Cycling Club, and Fergal Power, MTB Association of Dublin, completed the podium. The same three riders filled the podium in the series standing, although in a different order. Victory went to Power on 93 points, Bradley was second on 90 points and Rochford was third on 75 points.
In the Senior 4 Open, Padraig Ryan won on Sunday. William Rock finished third and Barry Toland in third. In the series results, Toland and Rock both finished on 87 points to share the top spot.
Women’s Results
In the Senior 1 Women category, Greta Lawless and Caoimhe May battled it out for the win at Bellurgan Park. Victory on the day went to Lawless, riding for Team WORC, however, it was May, riding for Orwell Wheelers Cycling Club, who won the series.
A third place finish for Ciara MacManus on Sunday saw her finish as runner-up in the series, with Lawless finishing in third overall.
EPIC MTB Expert Cycle riders finished first and second in the Senior 2 Women race. Jean Wilson won, and Fiona Lally was second. Agivey Cycling Club’s Catriona Wheeler was third. The top remained unchanged for the series results.
Sinead Greenan, riding for Galway MTB, won on Sunday and took home the title of series winner. Hazel Murphy finished second for Yellow Furze Road Club and Emma Convey was third, riding for EPIC MTB Expert Cycles.
Youth Results
The future of the sport looks bright with the youth races also attracting large entries and proving competitive.
In the Under 8’s, Bobby Cambell won the boys’ section on Sunday, and Evan Mctavish won the series. In the girls’ section Ríonach Campbell won leg five and the series.
Emilia Tyszecka won the Under 10’s girls’ series after recording her fourth consecutive victory at Round 5. Lewis Bell went one better in the boys’ section, winning each leg of the series to claim the overall prize.
Benjamin Cunningham and Aoife Campbell dominated throughout the series in the Under 12’s. They both won the final leg and the series.
Ava Baker won the Under 14 girls and secured victory in the series. In the boys’ section James Cunningham won on Sunday, but it was Oscar Moran who won the series.
Ryan Daly pipped Caleb McGreevey to the finish line in the Under 16 boys’ race but McGreevey came out on top in the series. Mia Geary won the girls’ race in Bellurgan Park and Lacey Aicken-Johnson won the series.
Click here for 2024 Cross-country National Series results.
Click here for Round 5 results.
National Championships
Now the National Series is complete, preparations turn to the Cross-country National Championships, taking place on Saturday and Sunday, 20th and 21st of July at. The championships will be hosted by Team WORC.
Click here to enter Day 1.
Click here to enter Day 2.