Conor Murphy and Curtis McKee got the Team Ireland effort off to a strong start at the UCI Cyclocross World Cup in Dublin today, with the teenagers finishing inside the top 20.
Competing against most of the best juniors in the world in the junior men’s race, Murphy and McKee overcame being gridded at the back of the field.
They picked off many of the international riders ahead of them to nudge up the field as the riders battled around the 3.3km course on the Sport Ireland Campus in Abbottstown, west Dublin.
In the end, Murphy finished a very strong 14th while McKee – the revelation of the domestic ‘cross so far – placed 20th. That duo were joined in the national team by Cameron Henry, Ryan Daly and Hugh Mulhearne.
All of the riders, with the exception of Murphy, were making their debut for Ireland and battled hard from start to finish, giving a very good account of themselves of a big day for them and their families.
Henry placed 30th while Daly and Mulhearne were 33rd and 34th on an ideal day for racing in mild temperatures and dry conditions.
The race was won by French 16-year-old Soren Bruyere Joumard. He crossed the line, delighted with his result, some 12 seconds up on Giel Lejeune of Belgium. Lennes Jacobs, also representing Belgium, claimed 3rd some 14 seconds down on the winner.
Murphy was 1:37 down in 14th while McKee was just a little further back, finishing 20th at 2:28.
More to come.