Mia Griffin (Roland) took the Irish road race title in dramatic style on Saturday, outsprinting Caoimhe O’Brien (Cynicsa) and Marine Lenehan (Dan Morrissey) to the line. Griffin had led the charge to reel in solo breakaway Lucy Benezét Minns (Lotto Ladies) inside of one kilometre to go.
Emma Jeffers (Liv AlUla Jayco) finished fourth to claim the U23 title.
Benezét Minns, the 2024 junior road race champion, finished 10th in the 117km race held in Co. Meath and the Boyne Valley.
“I’ve dreamed of winning a National Championship for so long, it honestly just hasn’t set in yet," Griffin told Cycling Ireland.
Speaking about trying to catch Benezét Minns, she added: "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.”
The small peloton split the second time around a 25.3km loop, leaving 10 riders at the front. Making the split were Paralympic and world champion tandem pilot Linda Kelly (Spin the Bean Power by Coffee), Olympian Griffin, Benezét Minns, O’Brien, Jeffers, Aoife O’Brien (DAS-Hutchinson), Abi Conway (Westport Covey Wheelers), (Lotto Ladies), Fiona Mangan (Winspace Orange Seal), and Caoimhe O’Brien (Cynicsa). Dan-Morrissey teammates Aine Doherty and Lenehan also made it into the front group.
As the riders tackled the fourth and final lap, attacks flew at the front of the group. Mangan, Benezét Minns, and O’Brien each made attempts to break away but were quickly reeled in. Benezét Minns kept the pressure on and eventually managed to pull clear, opening up a 12-second gap on the chase group with 9km to go.
But the chase was in full swing, with the gap shrinking from 12 seconds at 5 km to just six seconds with 2 km to go until the lone rider was caught, leading to a sprint finish.
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