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Irish Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
Rory Townsend, Mia Griffin best in aggressive Irish road race championships
Three years after he first won the title, Rory Townsend recouped past glories when he took the men's national road race championships in Yellow Furze in Meath on Sunday. The 29-year-old Q36.5 Pro Cycling professional was best in the sprint to the line, beating Jamie Meehan (AVC Aix Provence Dole). Patrick Casey (Israel Premier Tech Academy) and defending champion Darren Rafferty (EF Education-EasyPost) were close by, finishing three and six seconds back respectively. 'It sounds crazy but this just means so much,' Townsend said. 'It's the biggest thing for me. It means everything. A national championship is something you always want to win as a kid, and it makes you feel like a kid when you come back here.' The day was full of aggressive racing, with Conn McDunphy (Team Skyline), Rafferty and his brother Adam (Hagens Berman Jayco) among the most active. The leading quartet were clear heading on to the final lap, with Townsend using his greater experience and sprinting power to triumph. READ MORE Meehan, who finished second overall in the Rás Tailteann in May, took the under-23 title. 'I knew if I could have went one more time, one more move, that that'd be the move,' the AVC Aix Provence Dole rider said. 'But I just didn't have it. I'm disappointed to lose out to Townsend in the sprint but still delighted to take home the U23 title.' Saturday's elite and under 23 women's road race featured a very aggressive performance from Lucy Benezét Minns (Lotto Ladies). The talented 19 year old, who took a superb fourth in the world championship junior time trial two years ago, attacked on the final lap and opened a gap of 17 seconds. However she was reeled in with two kilometres to go, with Mia Griffin (Roland) beating Caoimhe O'Brien (Cynicsa Cycling), Marine Lenehan (Dan Morrissey Pissei Cycling Team) and five others to the line. 'I've dreamed of winning a national championship for so long, it honestly just hasn't set in yet,' Griffin said afterwards. 'I know when Lucy gets a good lead she can really suffer and push through, so I was determined to make sure we worked together in the group to catch her.' Emma Jeffers (Liv AlUla Jayco) took fourth and the under 23 award. Aliyah Rafferty (Tofauti Everyone Active Majaco) won the junior women's road race on Saturday, while Conor Murphy shrugged off mechanical issues to take the junior men's title on Sunday. National road race championships, Meath Elite and under 23 men: 1 Rory Townsend (Q36.5 Procycling), 2 J Meehan (AVC Aix Provence Dole) at 1 sec, 3 P Casey (Israel Premier Tech Academy) at 3, 4 D Rafferty (EF Education Easypost) at 6, 5 S Dunwoody (Bahrain Victorious Development Team) at 29, 6 F Crockett (VolkerWessels Cycling Team), 7 G O'Neill (Athlete Nutrition Coach HD), 8 O Doogan (Team Caldwell Cycles), 9 C McDunphy (Team Skyline), 10 L O'Brien (Lidl-Trek Future Racing) at 32 Under 23: 1, Meehan, 2, Casey, 3, Dunwoody Elite and under 23 women (Saturday): 1 Mia Griffin (Roland) 3 hours 11'06, 2 C O'Brien (Cynicsa Cycling), 3 M Lenehan (Dan Morrissey Pissei Cycling Team), 4 E Jeffers (Liv Alula Jayco), 5 A O'Brien (DAS – Hutchinson), 6 F Mangan (Winspace Orange Seal), 7 A Conway (Westport Covey Wheelers Cycling Club), 8 L Kelly (Spin The Bean Power By Coffee) all same time, 9 A Doherty (Dan Morrissey Pissei Cycling Team) at 5 secs, 10 L Benezet Minns (Lotto Ladies) at 12 secs Under 23: 1, Jeffers, 2, A. O'Brien, 3, Conway Junior women's road race (Saturday): 1 Aliyah Rafferty (Tofauti Everyone Active Majaco) 1 hour 36'04, 2 G Lawless (Dawson Racing) at 2'41, 3 A O'Donovan (Dungarvan CC), 4 E Tandy (Tofauti Everyone Active Majaco) at 6'56, 5 F Dolan (TC Racing) same Junior men's road race (Sunday): 1 Conor Murphy (Team Caldwell Cycles) 2 hours 44'42, 2 R Condon (Zappi Racing Team) at 1'22, 3 D Byrne (Asvillemur Cyclisme) at 2'06, 4 M Walls (Lucan Cycling Road Club), 5 J Armstrong (VC Glendale) at 2'42
The Independent
14-05-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Giro d'Italia leader Mads Pedersen sprints to victory on stage five
Race leader Mads Pedersen claimed another victory after a photo finish on stage five of the Giro d'Italia in Matera. Lidl-Trek rider Pedersen took his third stage win of this year's race after a late charge over the closing kilometre to edge out Edoardo Zambanini, with Britain's Tom Pidcock given third place for Q36.5 Pro Cycling. The 151km stage, which started from Ceglie Messapica, had seen a three-man breakaway from Giosue Epis, Davide Bais and Lorenzo Milesi. The peloton, though, slowly pulled them back in, reducing the gap on Bais and Milesi down to around 35 seconds heading into the final 20km. Pedersen appeared to be struggling to hold the pace, but after being helped on by team-mate Mathias Vacek, the Dane suddenly found the needed sprint on the uphill finish to hit the front and kept his position to claim another stage victory. In the general classification standings, Danish rider Pedersen now has a 17-second lead over race favourite Primoz Roglic (Red Bull -Bora-Hansgrohe) with Vacek in third. Stage six runs from Potenza to Naples over a 227km route, the longest of the Giro 2025, which includes 2,500 metres of climbing.
