Lakeside Wheelers take Three National Underage Titles

Post date: Sep 04, 2016 6:5:12 PM

(By Shay O'Toole - Sun.4th September 2016)

The National Youth Championships, which is the blue riband event for all youth riders were hosted in recent weeks by the Kanturk based, O’Leary Stone Cycling Club. These championships consist of a Time Trial (TT), a Criterium and a Road Race and are for riders aged from Under 11 years to Under 16 years. In the Under 11 and Under 12 categories the boys and girls race together with separate races for Under 13/Under 14 and Under 15/16 events.

As usual, Lakeside Wheelers was represented in both the girls and boys events and true to their 2016 form, these young guns left their mark in Munster.

In the girls racing, the sensational duo that is the O’Brien sisters came away with no less than four National titles with Aoife sweeping the boards to claim the Under 12 TT, Criterium and Road Race while big sister Caoimhe won the Under 14 Road Race. As a way of warming up for her events Caoimhe also managed to claim 3rd place in both the Under 14 TT and Criterium races. This was a brilliant result for the two girls and is clear evidence of their class in this sport especially considering that the weather was extremely wet and windy on the day.

In the boys events, the club was represented by Jamie Fuller Under 12, Conor Farrell Under 14/15, Aaron Wade Under 15 and Sean Kennedy Under 16. All of these young stars acquitted themselves extremely well with Sean claiming 3rd place in the Under 16 Road Race. This was an excellent result considering the winner took the top place on the podium in a recent senior Criterium in Westport.

Well done to all the competitors over the weekend both boys and girls! The future of Mullingar and Irish cycling looks bright.

Lakeside Wheelers members Caoimhe and Aoife O'Brien pictured front left in National Champs kit

at the 2016 Youth Cycling Championships in Kanturk