MULTYFARNHAM was the stage that decided last year’s Cycling Ireland National Road Series champions, and this year it is also riders last chance to be assessed by Ireland’s selectors for the Kreiz Breizh Elites road races.
At round three in Ballymena, Irish internationals Chris McGlinchey and Eve McCrystal secured impressive solo victories on a hilly, headwinded course, but Sunday’s Grange Motors Mullingar GP will be a vastly different test, the rolling circuit affected by surrounding bogland and Lough Derravaragh in its centre.
Last year, Sean Moore won the Men’s National Road Series Race for Team Gerard-DHL, but it was Conor Hennebry’s performance in second that earned him top spot in General Classification - a position he held to the end of the series.
Aine Donegan’s second behind McCrystal in the Women’s event also elevated her to the top spot for the first time, and again, she went on to win the National Road Series title, proving that a good result in round four is crucial to overall victory.
Both current General Classification leaders are expected in action on Sunday, with Grace Young already 16 points clear of Katharine Smyth, and the top four in the Men’s title-race covered by the same number, led by Hennebry, with Team Dan Morrissey-MIG.ie-Pactimo colleagues James Curry and Sean Hahessy next, and Darnell Moore sitting fourth.
The Grange Motors Mullingar GP starts in Multyfarnham at the community centre and loops 34km around Lough Derravaragh. The Men’s National Road Series Race will cover four laps of the circuit, and the Women’s will cover two.
The short distance of the women’s race means faster racing off the start line, suiting strong, sprinting types, as opposed to climbers - who were ideally placed for last month’s Blair International Red Hand Trophy.
The Grange Motors Mullingar GP will be covered live on Twitter via @CINatRoadSeries this Sunday from early.
FOR MORE DETAILS: http://bit.ly/NRS_2019
