Jason Gilsenan and Matthew Lane – Youth National Championships

Orwell Wheelers was represented by Jason Gilsenan and Matthew Lane in the Junior Men's National Road Race Championships in Cong, Co. Mayo. The 111.6km race was contested at a relentless pace in difficult conditions, with repeated attacks, strong winds and even a hailstorm testing the riders throughout.

Competing in his first-ever National Championships, Jason Gilsenan took on the toughest and longest race of his young career. The race split on one of the key climbs, leaving Jason in the second group on the road. Despite the relentless pace, he worked hard with his fellow riders in an effort to close the gap to the leaders.

Reflecting on his race, Jason said:

"My first-ever National Championships was the toughest and longest race I've competed in. The weather was unpredictable throughout the day, and we even rode through a hailstorm. The race split on one of the climbs, and I found myself in the second group. A few of us worked hard to try and bridge back, but I was really struggling just to hold the pace. The speed and intensity was on another level compared to any race I've done before. I managed to stay with the group all the way to the finish, but I didn't have anything left for the sprint and crossed the line in 25th place. Considering it's my first season of racing, I'm happy with the result and it was a great experience to race at this level."

Jason Gilsenan's 25th-place finish was an excellent result in his debut National Championships, underlining the progress he has made in his first season of racing.

Matthew Lane also faced a difficult day. Feeling unwell during the race, he battled on despite becoming sick, showing tremendous determination to continue to the finish. Although it wasn't the race he had hoped for, his resilience in difficult circumstances was a credit to him.

The two lads are selected to race Junior Tour of Ireland on the Shay Murphy Development Leinster team.

Photo : Sean Rowe