Happy homecoming as Nulty wins GP silverware

AFTER all the hustle and bustle of the An Post 8-Day International Ràs, it was back to normality at the weekend when Navan Road Club promoted the Sean Nolan Meath Grand Prix on Sunday.

In terms of the adult events, the first to race the starter was the 105km Senior A1-A2 race for the Sean Nolan Meath GP Memorial Cup.

There was a field of 82 riders, and despite many early attacks, with several riders trying to forge ahead, they were chased down each time by the main field and this was the pattern until after the half-way mark.

It was then that a six-man group detached themselves from the front of the race and went out clear, building up a lead of one minute and 10 seconds.

On the final lap, this leading group were joined by three more riders and it was this group that went on to fight out the finish.

Here, Julianstown man Javan Nulty, who returned to these shores from France to compete in the previous week’s An Post Ràs, proved to be by far the strongest in the uphill sprint to the line at Wilkinstown.

Nulty out-sprinted Matteo Cigala from the Aquablue CC in Cork, with Craig Rea from the Phoenix CC in Belfast third.

Javan said afterwards that he was delighted to win this prestigious race and that he intended to stay in Ireland until after the All-Ireland Senior Road Race Championships which are coming up in Kilcullen, Co Kildare on Sunday June 25th.

In the Senior A3 Race over a distance of 75km, another rider from the North East, Declan Hanley from McNally Swords CC, finished a very close fourth.

The morning’s underage races attracted very good entries, the biggest seen in recent years. Victories in these events went to Bohermeen rider Adam Gilsenan (Under-12), Ryan Geraghty from Bikeworx CC (Under-14) and Mark Smith from Moynalty CC (Under-16).

Overseas in the Philadelphia International Classic, the two local riders, Slane man Ian Richardson and Swords’ Eoin Morton, finished outside the prizes but gave a very good account of themselves and their teammate Eddie Dunbar finished third in the Under-23 category.

Richardson was the leading County rider in the Ràs for the second year running, while Morton won the stage into Charleville.