The 2024 Cycling Ireland Road National Championships brings the very best riders to Athea, Co. Limerick this weekend for one of the biggest events in the Irish cycling calendar.
As expected the championships have attracted large entries fields, including a nine-time senior national champion, young talents taking world cycling by storm and a multi-discipline superstar aiming to represent Ireland at the Olympics.
Ireland’s best international and national riders will go head to head in the battle to come home with the National Champions Jersey. Hosted by Newcastle West Cycling Club, the weekend that kicks off with the Time Trial National Championships on the evening of Thursday, June 14th, before the Road National Championships take centre stage on Saturday and Sunday, June 22nd and 23rd.
Here are some of the big-name riders that are set to feature at the 2024 Road National Championships:
Lara Gillespie
The defending Women’s Road Race Champion, Gillespie has enjoyed a sensational 2024 as she picked up a host wins across Europe in the professional peloton and helped seal Team Pursuit Olympics qualification for Ireland. Gillespie also recently signed with the World Tour team UAE Team ADQ.
Eddie Dunbar
Cork native Dunbar is back at the Road National Championships after missing last year’s edition following a magnificent Giro d’Italia performance. It’s been a turbulent season for the Team Jayco-Alula rider with injuries stopping him from reaching top form, but he’ll hope to hit his stride in Limerick this week.
Megan Armitage
Armitage has been consistently racing in the women’s professional peloton in recent seasons as well as featuring for the Irish national team at major championships. A second place finish in 2021, and a third place finish last year, Armitage will be aiming to top the podium this year.
Darren Rafferty
The Under 23 Men’s Time Trial Champion has made the step up to the UCI World Tour with EF Education Easypost in 2024 and is certainly one of the big favourites. He has featured at the front of some of cycling’s biggest stage races this season and finished as runner-up in the Under 23 Road Race National Championship the last two years.
Caoimhe O’Brien
Runner-up in last year’s Women’s Road Race, O’Brien has cut her teeth in multiple high-level races around Europe this season as she returns to once again fight for the national champion’s jersey.
Rory Townsend
The 2022 Men’s Road Race National Champion has given it everything in pursuit of the illustrious jersey in recent seasons. He heads to Co. Limerick for another crack at victory fresh off a busy season racing around Europe.
Marine Lenehan
A former triathlete and hurdler, Lenehan began focusing on cycling early last year and has already built up quite a string of results. After becoming European Gran Fondo Champion and claiming the 2024 Strade Bianche Gran Fondo, Lenehan enters the Women’s Road Rsace for the first time in her career and is certainly one to watch.
Archie Ryan
Riding EF Education Easypost, Ryan finished third in the Under 23 Men’s National Championship in 2022. He’s had some strong international results and will have his eye on a podium finish this weekend.
Click here for further details, including the schedule and full start lists.
