Starting at 9am, the field will include Aoife O’Brien (Torelli-Assure-Cayman Islands-Scimitar) and Erin Grace Creighton (McConvey Cycles) who last week represented Ireland in the junior road race at the world championships. On Sunday the junior women’s event will see the riders fight for the title over 77 kilometres. Defending champion Lara Gillespie will be absent this year, but riders such as recent world championship participant Megan Armitage (Team Rupelcleaning - Champion Lubricants), National Road Series winner Fiona Mangan (Illi-Bikes Cycling Team), former title holder and double Paralympics 2020 gold medallist Eve McCrystal (Bellurgan Wheelers), Imogen Cotter (Keukens Redant Cycling Team) and former national champion Lydia Boylan (Independiente) will be amongst the riders fighting for gold. He will be the clear favourite, but riders such as 2020 champion O’Connor will hope to take advantage of any close marking of Rafferty.

Rafferty won a number of races in France this season, was fourth in the junior time trial at the European championship and 11th at the same event in the world championships. Time trial winner Darren Rafferty (Villeneuve Cycliste) will be closely watched after his dominating performance in Thursday’s time trial, where he finished almost three minutes clear of the next rider Ronan O’Connor (Orwell Wheelers). The junior men will be first off, beginning their 96 kilometre race at 9am on Saturday. Following Thursday’s time trial events, Cycling Ireland’s national road championships will continue over the weekend with a range of road races based at the Beehive Inn in Wicklow.

Ben 10 fighting games