Lara Gillespie (Scott Orwell Wheelers) was crowned Junior Women’s Champion at the Irish Road Race Championships yesterday when she proved fastest in a two-rider sprint for gold. Castlebar Cycling Club’s Maeve Gallagher won the silver medal, with Gabriella Homer (Cycle Team Onform) winning bronze.
The junior race saw a select group of three make a move on the climb early on, with the pace whittling down to just Gallagher and first-year junior Gallagher who worked well together keeping the pace high.
The pair managed to stay clear and in the sprint to the line in Collooney, Co. Sligo, Gillespie just managed to edge out Gallagher.
Speaking after winning her Junior Road Racing National Title Gillespie described a hard race – “It was hard! I pushed hard on the hill every time, it was fast – we weren’t just going around – we pushed it.”
Gillespie said “We were just alternating at the front, and then it came to the last hill and she (Gallagher) attacked, I got back on and she attacked again I got back on – we came to the line. Then we played cat and mouse, and I managed to just catch her, but it was tight!”
Junior Women Results
Gold Lara Gillespie (Scott Orwell Wheelers)
Silver Maeve Gallagher (Castlebar Cycling Club)
Bronze Gabriella Homer (Cycle Team Onform)
