Irish juniors Rafferty, Dunwoody in storming rides at Chrono des Nations

Irish junior riders Adam Rafferty (Team 31 Jolly Cycles) and Seth Dunwoody (Cannibal B Victorious) today rounded off their successful 2023 seasons with very strong performances in the famed Chrono des Nations TT in France.

Rafferty has had a very strong series of rides against the clock this year, including winning the National TT Championships and placing 8th the Worlds, and has secured a place with top U23 Conti development team, Hagens Berman Axeon, for next season.

Dunwoody has also fared very well, especially for a first-year junior, with three wins in France and also claiming the junior road race title at the National Road Championships. He and Rafferty underlined their level in an international field over 27.23km in Les Herbiers today.

The race was won by Davide Donati (Ciclistica Trevigliese), the runner-up this year in the Italian TT championships. He rode around the course in a time of 33:57, or 48.124kmph. He was just one second up on British rider Finlay Tarling (Willebrord Wil Vooruit), with Ireland’s Rafferty placing 3rd, at nine seconds.

Germany’s Louis Leidert (Team Rose NRW), who claimed bronze in the junior TT at the Worlds in August, was 4th at 10 seconds, with Ireland’s Dunwoody next; 5th place, of 35-rider field, at 19 seconds.

While Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) and Darren Rafferty (Hagens Berman Axeon) were due to ride the elite and U23 races today, neither opted to extend their seasons with a race against the clock.

The elite men’s race was a battle between European champion, Josh Tarling (Great Britain), and world champion, Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep). Tarling came out on top – with an average speed of 52.386kmph for the 45.43km race. He was 13 seconds up on Evenepoel, with Stefan Bissegger (EF Education-EasyPost) 3rd at 1:10.

The elite women’s race, over 27.23km, was won by OIympic road race champion, Anna Kiesenhofer (Israel Premier Tech Roland) in a time of 36:23. She was just one second up on fellow Austrian, Christina Schweinberger (Fenix-Deceuninck), with Valeriya Kononenko (Ukraine) 3rd at 19 seconds.