Claire Diffely Battles Back for Top-20 Finish at Women's National Road Race Championships 2026

Claire Diffely delivered a strong performance in the Women's National Road Race Championships in Cong, Co. Mayo, before an unfortunate late crash denied her the opportunity to fight for an even higher placing.

Racing over the demanding 117km course against Ireland's best elite and U23 riders, Claire was in the thick of the action as the race began to come alive approaching the key climb. After a controlled opening, the pace lifted dramatically with around 2km to the climb as attacks started to fly.

"I got to the bottom of the climb with the group and went over the climb with them," Claire explained. "There was a split over the top, so I chased across to the second group on the road. We were working well together trying to catch the front of the race.

There were a couple of attacks, but the group stayed together."

Feeling strong and well positioned, Claire looked set to contest the closing stages before disaster struck.

"I was feeling great and then obviously managed to deck myself with 13km to go," she said. "I got back on the bike and limped home for 19th."

Despite the setback, Claire showed real determination to remount and finish the race, securing an impressive 19th place in a highly competitive National Championship won by Ex-Club rider Lara Gillespie in sprint finish.

It was a ride full of resilience and promise, with Claire proving she had the legs to race aggressively in one of the strongest fields of the domestic season before bad luck intervened.

Thanks Orla and Dave for the support.

Sean Rowe Photo.