Round 3 of the Orwell Women’s Crit League, sponsored by Women in Sport, report and photos below.

The threat of rain seemed to affect turnout for the 3rd Round of the Orwell Ladies League at Sandyford last night with just under 30 riders signing on, but it held off long enough for us to see some great racing. Once again we went with a three race program, this time sponsored by Women in Sport, and the girls got us started with a three lap race.
 
Youth Race
Aine Keogh (Orwell), the youngest rider in the league, was sent off as a one-girl Limit group, and worked very hard to make the most of her headstart, but her efforts began to unravel as she was caught first by Aoife Sheridan (Orwell) with half a lap to go. Sheridan carried on to take her first win with a start to finish solo effort, followed in seconds later by the hard chasing Scratch group of Rachel Kaye-Mellor (Orwell) and Caoimhe Ivory (Bray). Naoise Sheridan (Orwell) sprinted in shortly after, pipping Keogh for fourth place on the line.
 
1, Aoife Sheridan         (Orwell);
2, Rachel Kaye-Mellor  (Orwell);
3, Caoimhe Ivory          (Bray);
4, Naoise Sheridan      (Orwell);
5, Aine Keogh             (Orwell);
 
B Race
Next up was the B race, which started very conservatively with both groups sticking together and working well. Scratch were gradually chipping away at the Limit group’s lead but just couldn’t reel them in, and when with three laps to go Limit found themselves still in the lead Rachel Kaye-Mellor seized her chance and attacked, taking Caoimhe Ivory (Bray) with her. Once a gap was established Kaye-Mellor kicked again to break clear of Ivory and never looked back, opening a steadily widening gap all the way to the line.
Ivory held on for an impressive second place, made all the more worthy by the fact that both girls had already ridden the underage race beforehand. Behind them the remnants of the Limit group were hanging on ahead of the chasers, and Deirdre Feeney (unattached) and Ciara Long (Orwell) had just enough time left to hold out to the line, with Feeney taking third from Long in the sprint.
Only seconds later the Scratch group sprinted in with Anne Dalton (Orwell) beating Gillian Peelo (Bray Wheelers) by a wheel. Just squeezed into seventh place was the very unfortunate Ashling Fitzpatrick (Slipstream), who had ridden the final three laps on her own and looked like she would hang on to fifth place until she pulled a cleat in the dash to the line.
 
1, Rachel Kaye-Mellor  (Orwell);
2, Caoimhe Ivory          (Bray Wheelers);
3, Deirdre Feeney        (unattached);
4, Ciara Long               (Orwell);
5, Anne Dalton             (Orwell);
6, Gillian Peelo            (Bray Wheelers). 
 
A Race
Whereas last week the A race started off steadily and picked up in speed as it ran on, this time it started at a ferocious pace, no doubt spurred on by the presence of a Sprint Prime on the sixth lap.
The Limit group were desperately unlucky to be caught half a lap before the Prime, and when the bunch wound up for the sprint the only Limit rider who could hang on was Sandra Fitzgerald (Lucan). Andrea Fagan (Sundrive) underlined her steadily improving form in taking the Prime by a length.
The pace was kept high for the next ten laps by Orla Hendron (Orwell), who managed to fit more attacks into eight short kilometres than most riders will into an entire season, but league leader Joanna Hickey (Usher) and Fagan were happy to cover the moves and wait for a bunch sprint, so while Hendron made her rivals suffer she never got more than a few metres.
When with three laps remaining the pace momentarily eased the unmarked Sandra Fitzgerald saw her chance and attacked with everything she had, and as the favourites all looked to each other to do the chasing the gap grew rapidly, finishing with almost half a lap of a lead to the bunch. Perhaps if Fitzgerald had realised how dominant her lead was she might have taken more time to savour the victory, but as it was she kept her focus and didn’t ease off for a moment until she hit the line.
Hickey took the bunch sprint for second place from Hendron and Fagan, and in doing so extended her lead at the top of the League. Jenny McCauley (Bray) followed in fifth with Roisin Kennedy (Lucan) taking the final points placing in sixth.
 
1, Sandra Fitzgerald  (Lucan);
2, Joanna Hickey      (Usher);
3, Orla Hendron        (Orwell);
4, Andrea Fagan       (Sundrive);
5, Jenny McCauley   (Bray);
6, Roisin Kennedy    (Lucan).
 
Once again we have to thank the army of marshals who helped out, Jenny and Katherine for the sandwiches and cake, Brendan for the photos, Des Kelly for the use of their car park, our sponsors on the night- Women in Sport, and perhaps most importantly the riders who gave us a hugely entertaining evening of racing to watch.

Next week’s round kindly sponsored by Wheelworx on Tuesday 4th May promises to be even bigger and better with new sign-on facilities at the Cosy Kitchen Cafe (at turn 3 on the Circuit) & post-race refreshments, sign-on at 6.30pm for 7pm start. All welcome and if you’re not racing, please come along and cheer the ladies on as the Crit races make for some great entertainment! For further information, please contact Aideen Collard, aideen.collard@gmail.com, tel: 087 4179967.
                                                                       ~ends~
Dave McLoughlin