May and McKee secure Cross-Country National Series title
(Image credit: Atom Creates)
Cross country racing returned to Mullaghmeen, Co. Westmeath for the first time in eighteen years this weekend, with the fifth and final round of the 2022 National Series where Caoimhe May and Garreth McKee secured overall series title.
The Mullaghmeen Mountain Bike Club hosted over 150 riders who all experienced testing trails after recent rain fall produced slippery conditions under the dense forest canopy.
The stand-out performance of the day came from the men’s Senior 1 race winner, David Montgomery, who survived two falls and some technical issues en route to his second win of the National Points Series. Garreth McKee was a valiant second which was enough to secure him with the overall series win. Darragh McCarter came home in third place putting him in second place in the overall series rankings.
(Image credit: Atom Creates)
Ahead of this finale, all riders were put through their paces as the long, gradual climb gave way to inviting descents which soon revealed their technical demands.
Caoimhe May took her fourth victory from four starts securing the 2022 series in the Senior one women’s category, with Joanna Bula in second, and Niamh McKiverigan in third after recovering from recent illness.
Cillian O’Shea took the honours in the Junior category, Robert McKenna won the male Senior 2, Julian Kennedy Ripon took the male Senior 3, Ellen Murray the female Senior 2, Jason Travers won again in the male Senior 4, and Aine MacCarthy in the female Senior 3.
Conor Murphy and Greta Lawless won in the Under 16s, Curtis McKee and Cara Suckling both took the victory in the Under 14s, Darragh Murphy and Aoife Craig won the Under 12s for the second race in a row, and Rían Watkins and Aoife Campbell did the same in the Under 10s.
In the Under 8s Fiadh Craig won the female category whilst Benjamin Cunningham again won the male race with another fine display.
The race in Westmeath concluded an excellent series of races which saw the riders compete in Newtownards, Killarney, Sligo, Bree, and Mullaghmeen. Next up is the National Championships in Bellurgan Park, County Louth on the 23rd and 24th July 2022. For more information on the Cross-Country National Championships visit: www.cyclingireland.ie/events/national-championships/cross-country-national-championships/