MEATH rider Mark Dowling and Paralympic World Champion pilot Eve McCrystal took top honours at Round 5 of the Cycling Ireland National Road Series in Dromore, County Down on Saturday.
For Dowling it was a victory he had been trying to achieve for 10 years, Banbridge Cycling Club’s John Beggs Memorial Road Race enjoying it’s 48th edition this year. But Dowling’s race was nearly over at the start.
“I had a front mech problem at the start, so I spent the first lap chasing,” Dowling said. “I think I spent most of the day on the back foot. Many times during the race I actually thought about packing it in, because I didn’t feel like I really had the legs, but coming towards the end you always get that extra bit of motivation.”
He added: “It’s a race I’ve been trying to win for 10 years, so once I got within touching distance of the win, when there was just four of us, I just gave it everything. It was very close at the finish; I think it was down to pure grit, because as I said it’s one I’ve wanted for many, many years.”
Dowling missed the early breakaway, which had looked strong, including Cycling Ireland National Road Series leader James Curry and his Dan Morrissey-MIG.ie-Pactimo team mate Conor Hennebry, and Darnell Moore, who would go on to finish third.
Halfway through the 128km test, Dowling had made it into a chasing group of 12, and with less than 30km to race, he made it into the front group now consisting of Hennebry, Angus Fyffe and David Montgomery. He won by a tyre width on the line, Moore taking third, and Hennebry taking the lead in the Men’s National Road Series.
In the Women’s National Road Series race, an attack by Eve McCrystal on the final of three laps whittled the lead group down to five riders, including McCrystal’s STRATA3/Velo Revolution Racing Team colleague Grace Young, who was wearing the Spin 11 Leaders Jersey.
The five worked together for the final 25km, Maura Claffey from UCD Cycling looking the strongest throughout the 98km. However, Claffey had no answer for McCrystal when she kicked up the final steep drag to the finish line.
Following up her victory in Round 3 of the National Road Series, McCrystal won the Women’s John Beggs Memorial Road Race for the second time in her stellar career. Claffey secured second, ahead of Katharin Smyth in third. Young finished fourth to retain the Women’s National Road Series lead.
The Cycling Ireland National Road Series continues in County Wicklow on Saturday, August 31st at the 7th Laragh Classic, a race Mark Dowling won in 2015.
Results - Men's John Beggs Memorial Road Race
Mark Dowling - Un-attached
Conor Hennebry - Dan Morrissey-MIG.ie-Pactimo
Darnell Moore - Caldwell Cycles
Angus Fyffe - Caldwell Cycles
David Montgomery - Un-attached
James Curry - Dan Morrissey-MIG.ie-Pactimo
Jody Wright - Phoenix CC
Darragh McCarter - Donegal Bay CC
John Buller - Team Bioracer - DHL - FR Services
Donal Shearer - Phoenix CC
Cian May - Lucan Cycling Road Club
Ronan McLaughlin - Dan Morrissey-MIG.ie-Pactimo
Craig McAuley - Caldwell Cycles
Marc Potts - Un-attached
Mark McGinley - Four Masters CC
Michael McGlynn - Omagh Wheelers CC
Edvin Silovs - North Tipperary Wheelers
Conor Gallagher - Team Bioracer - DHL - FR Services
Bryan Geary - Panduit Carrick Wheelers
Drew McKinley - Newry Wheelers
Results - Women's John Beggs Memorial Road Race
Eve McCrystal - STRATA3/VeloRevolution Racing Team
Maura Claffey - UCD Cycling Club
Katharine Smyth - Ballymena Road Cycling Club
Grace Young - STRATA3/VeloRevolution Racing Team
Yvonne Doran - Scott Orwell Wheelers
Agnieszka Wozniak - STRATA3/VeloRevolution Racing Team
Nessa Rochford - DeRonde Van Cork CC
Eileen Burns - Ballymena Road Cycling Club
FOR MORE DETAILS: http://bit.ly/NRS_2019