Dawson Dominates at Cross-country National Championships

(Left - Right) Dean Harvey, Chris Dawson, and David Montgomery in the Senior Men Cross-country National Championship 2024

Credit: Kevin McFeeley


Chris Dawson won his third consecutive Cross-country National Championship title. The Dawson Racing rider and reigning champion established an early lead which only grew as the race progressed. 


Dean Harvey, riding for Trinity Racing, kept the pressure on Dawson in the early stages, but Dawson quickly pulled away, making up ground on the climbs. 


Spellman-Dublin Port’s David Montgomery then challenged Harvey. The pair battled it out throughout the race but in the end it was Harvey who finished second, and Montgomery who completed the podium.


The Senior Men’s, alongside the M30 category, was the final race after an action packed two days of racing. 


Speaking to Cycling Ireland, Dawson said: 

“It was super-fast from the start, Dean lit it up on the first lap and the first climb. I just went with his pace and then pushed on and didn’t look back. It was a super technical course, so you had to stay really smooth on all those traversey bits. So I just hit the climbs hard and had a fantastic race. I had no mechanicals, no crashes so delighted to take the win.”


Getting and maintaining a significant lead was part of Dawson’s plan, he explained why: 

“I push as hard as I can so that if I do have a mechanical or an issue then I have a bit of buffer time and can hopefully sort it out and can still get the win but thankfully I didn’t need to use that.”


Hosted by Team WORC in the foothill of the Wicklow Mountains, the venue not only provided breathtaking backdrops, but the course design meant spectators could easily access the technical wooded section of the course to take in all the action. 


In the Senior Women’s Race, victory went to Greta Lawless for Team WORC. It was a battle from early on between Lawless and Caoimhe May for Orwell Wheelers. May was riding for her third consecutive national title and kept close to Lawless throughout. Completing the podium was Faith Robinson for Bray Wheelers. 


(Left - Right) Caoimhe May, Greta Lawless and Faith Robinson, the top three in the Senior Women Cross-country National Championship, with Cycling Ireland Board Member Gary McIlroy 

Credit: Kevin McFeeley


Riders from the host club dominated in the throughout the masters’ races, winning the M50 and M40 races, and taking second place in the M30. 


Adding another national jersey to his collection, Robin Seymour won the M50 race in spectacular style and much to the delight of the home crowd. PJ Haynes was second for Bellurgan Wheelers and John Doris finished third for EPIC MTB Expert Cycles. 


In the M40 race there was little separating the top riders. Brian Melia for the Team WORC topped the podium, with William Simmons in second and Raymond O’Shaughnessy, for Bellurgan Wheelers, in third.

 

Graham Boyd won the M30 race for McConvey Cycles. There was great excitement in the battle for second place, as Sean Feeney for Team WORC and Lee Clarke for Cycleology Racing Team, were neck and neck around the final bend and into the finishing straight. Feeney managed to clench the silver medal, with only .2 of a second separating the pair. 


The youth national championship races attracted good entries with riders travelling to Co. Wicklow from around Ireland. Ryan Daly won the Under 16 boys and Mia Geary won the Under 16 Girls. In the Under 14 category, James Cunningham and Aoife Craig were victorious. 


Click here for results from Day 1

Click here for results from Day 2 


Well done to everyone involved over the course of the two days.