Dean Harvey showed his class once again at the national cyclocross championships, taking his third consecutive title with a dominant win in Ballinasloe on Sunday.
The 21-year-old went clear early on and build a commanding lead, eventually beating Darnell Moore (Team Caldwell Cycles) by close to three minutes. The latter won a tight tussle for silver ahead of Travis Harkness (Lyon Sprint Evolution).
New Irish international Esther Wong had a closer battle in the women’s race, battling junior rider Greta Lawless (Team WORC) early on before pulling ahead. She ultimately beat her by 21 seconds, with Hannah McClorey (Doltcini – Cycle Division) bettering former national champion Maria Larking (Cuttin Crew/Donkey Label) for bronze.
Wong finished a fine third overall in the Watersley Ladies Challenge last August, a UCI junior Nations Cup race.
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She competed internationally for Britain as recently as September’s world road championships. However, she has an Irish grandmother and subsequently declared for Ireland, making her debut in a green jersey at the Dublin cyclocross World Cup in December.
The talented 18-year-old has inked a contract with the Hess Cycling Team, a UCI Continental squad, and should have a good programme of racing this season.
National Cyclocross Championships, Ballinasloe, Co Galway
Men: 1 Dean Harvey (Trinity Racing) 1:03:53 (U23), 2 D Moore (Team Caldwell Cycles) 1:06′26, 3 T Harkness (Lyon Sprint Evolution) 1:06′42 (U23), 4 T Killeen (Kilcullen Cycling Club Murphy Geospacial) 1:06′43 (U23), 5 R Barry (St. Finbarrs CC) 1:08′42
Women: 1 Esther Wong (Hess Cycling Team) 39′57, 2 G Lawless (Team WORC) 40′18 (Junior), 3 H McClorey (Doltcini – Cycle Division) 42′48, 4 M Larking (Cuttin Crew/Donkey Label) 43′03, 5 R Lally (Loughborough Lightning) 43′25
Junior men: 1 Conor Murphy (Team Caldwell Cycles) 36′58, 2 C McKee (Spellman-Dublin Port) 37′28, 3 R Daly (Scott Racing IRL) 37′42, 4 J Armstrong (VC Glendale) 38′39, 5 H Og Mulhearne (Asvillemur Cyclisme) 39′29
Masters women: 1 Jean Wilson (EPIC MTB Expert Cycles) 48′43, 2 A O’Connor (Orwell Wheelers Cycling Club) 49′32, 3 H White (Stamullen RC) 51′17, 4 H Murphy (Yellow Furze Road Club) 39′48, 5 C Martinez (First Tracks) 40′07
Masters 40 men: 1 Glenn Kinning (Kinning Cycles Cycling Club) 49′07, 2 R O’Flynn (Orwell Wheelers Cycling Club) 49′09, 3 M Flavin (Dungarvan CC) 50′14, 4 E Ryan (Team WORC) 50′34, 5 K Keane (St Tiernans Cycling Club) 50′53
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