After having a limited international race programme during the spring, Irish road race champion Siobhan Horgan (The Edge) is looking forward to a better run of races in the months ahead. The 32 year old took her fifth national championship on Saturday when she outsprinted breakaway companions Lousie Moriarty (Look Mum No Hands) and Thursday’s time trial winner Caroline Ryan (Garda CC).
It means she is back in the distinctive white and green jersey after a two year absence, and she’s keen to get some good races in with it on.
“I have a dual licence this year. I am rejoining my UCI team, GSD, in July,” she told VeloNation after Saturday’s finish. “Then I am doing a lot of the UCI Tours in France and I will do a few World Cups, and maybe the world road race. We will see.
“On the 14th of July I am doing the Tour de Bretagne, a four day 2.2. Then two or three days after that I will do the Tour du Limousin, then I will do the Sparkassen Giro. It is a 1.1. After that I will probably do a few World Cups in August.”
Horgan - previously known by her maternal name Siobhan Dervan - showed solid ability with a solid 24th in the 2008 world road race championships.
She was based in Ireland for much of this year but surprised herself when she finished second in the French Cup Grand Prix de Plumelec Morbihan event at the end of May. She then took second two weeks later in another round of the series, the Prix Des Communes De Nogent L'Abbesse Et Beine-Nauroy. Given that she’s still building form, it bodes well for the rest of the year.
Nationals triumph:
Horgan’s nationals success came despite having to stop with mechanical issues during Saturday’s race. “A key moment was I broke a load of spokes in my front wheel. I had to change that, and as I was chasing back on, the bunch split. I think there were eight or nine ahead, so I had to work hard to get back on to the leading group,” she said.
Earlier on, Francine Meehan (Tullamore CC) attacked at the end of the first of seven 12.8 kilometre laps. She built a lead of over a minute, and the pressure of the chase saw the chase group drop to a dozen riders. After an hour of racing defending champion Olivia Dillon (Peanut Butter & Twenty 12), Geraldine Gill (Bohermeen), Caroline Ryan (Garda CC), Heather Wilson (Maryland Wheelers), Ciara Horne (Lakeland CC), Louise Moriary (Look Mum No Hands), Sandra Fitzgerald (Lucan CRC) and Jennifer O’Reilly (Ravens CRT) were clear, while Horgan was beginning her chase back on.
She rejoined 43 kilometres into the event, and while Meehan was caught soon afterwards, she kicked clear once again and began another long period off the front.
Horgan, Ryan and Moriarty forged clear a lap later and were the joined by Dillion and Wilson. Together they caught Meehan, who then slipped back when Ryan attacked. Several kilometres later Horgan and Moriarty clipped away and chased down the race leader, going on to fight it out for the race win. Wilson and Dillon chased hard but were unable to get back on terms before the line.
Horgan said that she was optimistic about chasing gold, but also didn’t want to take things for granted in any way. “I was confident, I knew my form was good but at the same time you never know with the national championships,” she said. “So I am just delighted to execute it and get it done.”
With her motivation now likely to be on a high, she will continue working hard in advance of the Tour de Bretagne in just over two weeks’ time.
Irish women’s road race championship, Monaghan:
1, Siobhan Horgan (The Edge Sports Team) 96km in 2 hours 46 mins 35 secs
2, Louise Moriarty (Look Mum No Hands) at 4 secs
3, Caroline Ryan (Garda CC) at 7 secs
4, Heather Wilson (Maryland Wheelers) at 49 secs
5, Olivia Dillon (Peanut Butter & Twenty12) at 51 secs
6, Fran Meehan (Tullamore) at 3 mins 20 secs
7, Jennifer O'Reilly (Ravens CRT) at 4 mins 46 secs
8, Ciara Horne (Lakeland CC) at 5 mins 8 secs
9, Sandra Fitzgerald (Lucan CRC) at 5 mins 23 secs
10, Geraldine Gill (Bohermeen) at 6 mins 22 secs
11, Anne Dalton (DTC Orwell Wheelers) at 8 mins 27 secs
12, Tonya Moran (Phoenix CC) at 8 mins 29 secs
13, Laura Banfield (Swords CC) at 8 mins 32 secs
14, Roisin Kennedy (Lucan CRC) at 8 mins 35 secs
15, Mandy Collie (Team Basso TC) at 8 mins 37 secs
16, Sandra Telford (DTC Orwell Wheelers) at 8 mins 44 secs
17, Orla Hendron (DTC Orwell Wheelers) at 8 mins 54 secs
18, Amy Brice (Phoenix CC) at 8 mins 56 secs
19, Fiona Meade (St. Finbars CC) at 9 mins 7 secs
20, Caroline Conway (Usher IRC) at 17 mins 59 secs