Ava Baker of host club Breffni Wheelers on her way to a popular win in the U16 girls race at the National Cyclocross Championships in Co Cavan (Photo: Toby Watson)

The opening day of the National Cyclocross Championships saw fierce competition for the youth titles, with Ava Baker of host club Breffni Wheelers taking a very popular win in the U16 girls race. James Cunningham (Team WORC) timed his run to perfection to take the U16 boys championships.

In the U14 national title events, the gold medals and the Irish champions’ jerseys went the way of Daragh Quigley (Foyle CC) and Lilly McDermott (TC Racing).

But first to Baker; the home town girl winning big in front of her local crowd in a championships promoted by her own club.

The grapevine says she has a lot of talent and there was clear evidence of that today as she claimed victory in the U16 girls race by just over a minute from Katie Turner (Orwell Wheelers), herself tipped for success by many. And rounding out the podium on the day was Carlow RCC’s Naoise Byrne.

James Cunningham wins the U16 boys race for Team WORC at the National Cyclocross Championships (Photo: Toby Watson)

For the second year in succession, Turner had a mechanical issue, on the first full opening lap. At that point of the race she lost a massive 1:10 to eventual winner Baker, who was never going to be brought back.

Though Turner was marginally first than Turner on the in-lap and pegged back one second on the lap three and four, Baker was long gone and smashed it to win.

In the U16 boys race, Cunningham took gold by 21 seconds from Eoin Davis (Bohermeen CC), with James Geary (Fermoy CC) claiming the bronze, some 45 seconds down on the winner.

Davis has enjoyed a fantastic season and was consistently winning, though Cunningham scored a win over him last weekend at final round of the National Cyclocross Series in Ballinasloe, Co Galway.

Daragh Quigley of Foyle CC looks concentrated on his winning ride during the U14 race at the National Cyclocross Championships (Photo: Toby Watson)

And the Team WORC kept that momentum going today; getting ahead early, though just about, as Davis put in a great race to keep him under control.

As the leading duo went into the final lap, there was just a couple of seconds between them.

However, Cunningham had the staying power, and the ability to up his game, and put 16 seconds into Davis over the last passage of the course to win it.

The U14 boys race was a bit clearer cut from the outset as eventual winner Quigley got out of the traps very quickly and simply never looked back.

But the end of the third lap, of five, Quigley was leading solo with about 40 seconds in hand over Fabian Drwal (Lynx CC), with Nuadha Walsh (Greenmount CA), the eventual bronze medal winner, a little further back.

And through Drwal dug in over the last two laps, Quigly was simply took strong, never letting up until he crossed the line with the gold medal in the bag.

In the end, Quigley was 49 seconds up on Drwal, with Walsh a further 38 seconds back, and just 17 seconds up on Max McGrath (Fermoy CC) in 4th place.

The U14 girls contest was very much a race of two halves as Aoife Campbell (Square Wheels) forged clear early, only to be pegged back on the second lap by McDermott.

And from that point, TC Racing’s McDermott was in control, putting another 10 seconds into Campbell on the penultimate lap and three more on the final passage of the circuit.

At the chequered flag, McDermott was 17 seconds up on Campbell, with Aoife Killeen (Kilcullen CC Murphy Geosocial) claimed the bronze medal.