Matthew Teggart recorded the best performance of his career on Sunday, coming up just short of a podium finish in the Commonwealth Games road race in Warwick.
The Northern Ireland rider finished fourth out of 121 starters in the 160 kilometre race, less than a wheel off bronze, but was moving so quickly in the sprint that he may well have taken bronze if the line was two metres further away.
New Zealander Aaron Gate took gold in the sprint, beating Daryl Impey (South Africa) and Finn Crockett (Scotland). Gate has slight connections to Ireland, being a former An Post Sean Kelly team rider and winning three stages of the An Post Rás in the past.
Teggart has had an impressive season at home and abroad, including winning the opening stage of the Rás Tailteann. Taking fourth in Sunday’s race against many professional riders is a superb result.
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Fellow Northern Ireland riders Darren Rafferty, Christopher McGlinchey and Cameron Orr all finished in the main bunch 8 minutes 39 seconds behind the leaders. Rafferty, who just turned 19 last month, was a very impressive eighth out of 54 riders in Thursday’s time trial.
Meanwhile Alice Sharpe was a fine 15th in the women’s road race. It was decided in a big group sprint, with Georgia Baker (Australia) winning ahead of Neah Evans (Scotland) and Sarah Roy (Australia).
In Quebec, Canada, Ronan Grimes followed up his silver medal in the MC4 time trial at the paracycling World Cup on Friday with another silver medal in the road race on Sunday. Gary O’Reilly was fifth in the H5 road race on Saturday, while Declan Slevin took 14th in the H3 road race.
In the Czech Republic, Archie Ryan showed further sign of his promise when he finished a superb sixth overall in the 2.1-ranked Sazka Tour on Sunday. Ryan was seventh on Friday’s second stage, 13th on Saturday and then rode aggressively en route to finishing 12th on the concluding stage into Šternberk.
The 20 year old had started the final day seventh overall but improved one place to sixth. He finished the race 20 seconds behind the overall winner Lorenzo Rota (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux) and ahead of many WorldTour riders.
It is Ryan’s best performance of the season and will improve his chances of going on to a professional career. His current team is the feeder team connected to the WorldTour level Jumbo-Visma team, which won the Tour de France with Jonas Vingegaard.
Other young Irish riders raced to strong results in Italy in Saturday. The 18-year-old Meath rider Adam Gilsenan (Canturino 1902 Asd) won the Memorial Antonio Colo race in Tuscany by 53 seconds. Former national junior champion Ronan O’Connor was a fine sixth in the under-23 elite Zane Monte Cengio event in Italy on Saturday. He finished 16 seconds behind the winner Davide De Pretto.
Commonwealth Games road race, Warwick: Men: 1 Aaron Gate (New Zealand) 160 kilometres in 3 hours 28′29″, 2 D Impey (South Africa), 3 F Crockett (Scotland), 4 M Teggart (Northern Ireland), 5 F Wright (England)
Other: 35 D Rafferty (Northern Ireland) at 8′39″, 39 C McGlinchey (Northern Ireland), 52 C Orr (Northern Ireland) both same time
Women: 1 Georgia Baker (Australia) 112 kilometres in 2 hours 44′46″, 2 N Evans (Scotland), 3 S Roy (Australia), 4 V Looser (Namibia), 5 M Coles-Lyster (Canada) all same time
Other: 15 A Sharpe (Northern Ireland) same time
Cycling Ireland Masters national championships: Road race: Womens M40: 1 Suzanne White (Sorrento CC), 2 C Lenihan (Newcastle West Cycling Club), 3 Y Doran (Orwell Wheelers Cycling Club)
Women’s M50: 1 Julie Rea (Phoenix CC), 2 V Considine (Usher Irish Road Club), 3 S Cahill (The Chaingang Cycling Club)
Men’s M60: 1 Joseph Murphy (Dublin Wheelers), 2 B Crowley (Clonakilty Cycling Club), 3 M Haynes (Lucan Cycling Road Club)Time trial:
Men’s: M40: 1 Paul Kennedy (Burren Cycling Club), 2 M Pinfield (Blarney Cycling Club), 3 E Whelan (Seven Springs CC Loughrea)
M50: 1 Greg Swinand (Team Dan Morrissey Pactimo), 2 K McKenna (Omagh Wheelers), 3 P Carroll (Burren Cycling Club)
M60: 1 Seamus Keenan (Omagh Wheelers Cycling Club), 2 J Flynn (Cuchulain CC), 3 C McGready (Dromara Cycling Club)
Women: 1 Hazel Smyth (Unattached Ulster), 2 F Meehan (Tullamore CTC), 3 C Kinch (Cuchulain CC)
