Ravensdale honours go to Mullen in sprint finish

JOSEPH Mullen continues to dominate this year’s Bike Station Summer League after collecting his third win in the series in as many weeks.

Round three was a 40km race which consisted of two laps of a hilly circuit in and around Ravensdale, finishing at The Sportsmans on the old Newry Road.

By the mid-way point the fast-moving scratch group had caught the middle section of the race and were closing in on the riders at the front.

On the climb up to the Lumpers pub on the second lap the front group was caught and a number of riders were very aggressive on the hill, with UCD’s Aimhirghin O Brannagain in particular pushing the pace.

As they crested the hill the large bunch had split in two, with the stronger riders pulling away.

On the long drag up towards the finishing line, defending league champion James McEneaney of Moynalty Cycling Club was applying the pressure, but that didn’t stop Bellurgan’s Eve McCrystal attacking. McCrystal was eventually caught and in the sprint for the line Mullen’s kick pulled him clear of Tomas McCabe and McEneaney for his third win in a row.

In the support race, held over just one lap of the circuit, Grateh Moran had a very strong win, ahead of Newry’s Oliver Murphy. Cuchulainn’s underage rider Eoin Holmes continues to perform well and he clocked up an impressive third place.