ON Saturday evening the Beechmount Cup race was hosted by Navan Avonmore Road Club and attracted a field of over 60 riders. The race was contested over a distance of 40k with victory going to John Murray from the Lakeside Mullingar CC.

In the A2 category, Colm Laverty from the promoting club finished (2nd), while in the A3 category, it was Colm Crawley from Stamullen Martin Donnelly who proved best taking the win.

Then on Sunday, the club had a major promotion on hands, with the Collins/ Christle Memorial held over 80k for seniors, plus a separate Ladies National League Race held over 60k and also the Leinster Youths Championships for Under 12, under 14 and Under 16s.

The under 16 Championship finished in a mass bunch sprint, with Thomas Fallon from the Wolftrap CC in Birr, Co Offaly snatching the gold medal by a cat's whisker from Drogheda Wheelers, Ciaran Campbell.

This was probably the best sprint of the championships and it could have gone either way.

Paul Dargle from Stamullen Martin Donnelly, a relatively new recruit on the scene, only six weeks racing, finished 4th.

It was then time for the Collins/ Christle Memorial for senior riders to get underway. So, at 2pm a field of 70 riders from all over the country lined up for the start of this race, which would be contested over six laps of a local nine-mile course.

Racing was fast and furious right from the drop of the flag with numerous groups escaping off the front, only to be reeled back in each time.

Probably from the halfway mark it was looking inevitable that the waiting crowd in Kilmessan village would be treated to a massive bunch sprint and they were not disappointed.

Brendan Whelan from the Stagg Lucan CC catapulted from the pack and crossed the line in first place.

Colm Bracken, a renowned sprinter came home in 2nd place with Stamullen's Craig Sweetman in 3rd place, and Javan Nulty from Stamullen MDonnelly 7th.

In the A2 section, it was Meath cyclists who dominated this category with Derek Hussey from Navan taking the win, Gary Gorman 2nd and Matt Kelly 3rd, both members of Stamullen Martin Donnelly club.

Following the prize presentation, Race Organiser, Noel Clarke thanked all of the cyclists for supporting the weekend races and went on to thank everyone who helped make the weekend races a great success.

Next week the AllIreland Youth Championships will take place in Coalisland, Co Tyrone over Saturday and Sunday.

Here, there will be races for all categories from Under 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and U16s.

The first race on Saturday morning at 10am will be an individual Time Trial. Then on Saturday afternoon it will be a criterium on closed roads around the town centre.

The championship weekend will wrap up on Sunday with a road race for all age groups.

In the under 15 championship there will be huge interest in riders from the north east.

The Campbell twins, Ciaran and Daragh will be among the favourites to collect a medal after Ciaran's great performance in the Leinster Under 16 championship on Sunday.

Stamullen's trio of Paul Dargle, Ciaran O'Connell and Danny Bruton, who are all very new to the scene, could certainly be in the shakeup for a medal in the team championship.

- McCarthy / SPORTSFILE