Ireland’s Megan Armitage finishes 25th overall in Adelaide

Megan Armitage finished in the main bunch on the third and final stage of the Santos Festival of Cycling in Adelaide on Tuesday, rolling in as part of the main bunch in 22nd position.

The Team Westpac rider was given the same time as the stage winner Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Team BikeExchange-Jayco), who outsprinted Nicole Frain (Roxsolt Liv SRAM) and Georgia Baker (Team BikeExchange-Jayco) at the conclusion of the race to Lobethal.

The event is part of Armitage’s build-up to the European season and the national road-race silver medallist has shone. She rode aggressively during the event, including a long solo breakaway move on Monday’s second stage, and ultimately finished 25th overall.

Australian rider Roseman-Gannon took the general classification. Armitage was one minute and nine seconds back, and continues what has been remarkable progression since taking up the sport in 2020. She has spent recent weeks in Australia, and is set to compete on Wednesday in the final day of racing at the Santos Festival of Cycling, a standalone evening criterium in Adelaide.

Megan Armitage shines in Santos Festival of Cycling stage race in Australia

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Once back in Europe, Armitage will compete this season with the UCI-registered Team Rupelcleaning.

In other news, former WorldTour professional Nicolas Roche and current women's national road-race champion Imogen Cotter will spearhead the Irish men's and women's squads for next month's UCI Cycling Esports World Championships.

The event builds on the recent growth in eRacing, or virtual racing, with riders using smart trainers and online apps to compete in a virtual setting. Roche will be joined by Chris McGlinchey, who won the inaugural Cycling Ireland Irish eRacing national championships on January 15th, six days after becoming the national cyclo-cross champion.

The men's team will be competed with Richard Barry (St Finbarr's), who took bronze in the eRacing national championships.

Women’s national road-race champion Cotter had been best of the women in qualification for the eRacing championships. However, as the finals were run off with all the competitors on site at UCD, she wasn’t able to take part. She is currently based in Girona, where she is training for her upcoming road season with the UCI-registered Plantur Pura team.

The UCI Cycling Esports World Championships will be held remotely, removing the barrier to Cotter taking part. She will be joined in the event by the woman who won the national championships in her absence, Mary Corless, a triathlete from Tuam.

The UCI Cycling Esports World Championships will be held on Saturday, February 26th. The races will be run on Zwift’s New York Knickerbocker course, covering 54.9 kilometres with 944 metres of ascent.

SANTOS FESTIVAL OF CYCLING

Adelaide, Australia – Stage 3, Lobethal to Lobethal: 1 Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Team BikeExchange-Jayco) 86.9 kilometres in 2:17.21, 2 N Frain (Roxsolt Liv SRAM), 3 G Baker (Team BikeExchange-Jayco), 4 M Raynolds (Inform TMX Make), 5 P Mullens (Roxsolt Liv SRAM), 6 H Jones (Giant Racing Team) all same time. Irish: 22 M Armitage (Team Westpac) same time. Did not start: S McCurley (Knights of Suburbia Racing)

Final general classification: 1 Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Team BikeExchange-Jayco) 6:53.53, 2 N Frain (Roxsolt Liv SRAM) at 18, 3 M Plouffe (Ara Pro Racing Sunshine Coast) at 25, 4 G Baker (Team BikeExchange-Jayco) same time, 5 E Watts (Knights of Suburbia Racing) at 29, 6 M Raynolds (Inform TMX Make) at 35. Irish: 25 M Armitage (Team Westpac) at 1.09, 67 S McCurley (Knights of Suburbia Racing) at 15.15.