Darren Rafferty goes the distance to win Irish road race title
EF neo-pro wins ahead of Dillon Corkery and Rory Townsend

Darren Rafferty (EF Education-EasyPost) powered to victory in the elite men’s road race at the Irish Championships after distancing breakaway companion Dillon Corkery (St Michel - Mavic - Auber93) in the final 10km in Athea, County Limerick.
Rafferty had sparked the winning move with 20km remaining, and the Tyrone man produced a fine display on the finishing circuit to claim his first elite title on the road. Corkery, who won last year’s Rás Tailteann, held on for silver at 16 seconds, while Rory Townsend (Q36.5) outsprinted Dean Harvey (Trinity Racing) for bronze, just over a minute down on Rafferty.
Finn Crockett (VolkerWessels Cycling Team), who had initially tracked Rafferty and Corkery’s move, came home in fifth place.
Eddie Dunbar (Jayco-Alula) was one of the day’s main aggressors after winning the time trial title earlier in the week, but the Banteer man had to settle for 8th place. The national championships marked his return to competition after his Giro d’Italia challenge was ended by a crash on stage 2, and he is next in action at the Tour of Austria.
The day belonged to Rafferty, who was generous in his efforts across the day. He is in his first season as a professional, and the 2023 Giro della Valle d’Aosta has been quietly highlighting his potential as across the debut campaign.
Rafferty arrived at the Irish championships fresh from a solid outing at the Critérium du Dauphiné, where he was in the break on the tough penultimate stage to Samoëns 1600. The 20-year-old inherits the national champion's jersey from his EF teammate Ben Healy, who missed this year's championships ahead of his Tour de France debut.
Results
Results powered by FirstCycling
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Cyclingnews is the world's leader in English-language coverage of professional cycling. Started in 1995 by University of Newcastle professor Bill Mitchell, the site was one of the first to provide breaking news and results over the internet in English. The site was purchased by Knapp Communications in 1999, and owner Gerard Knapp built it into the definitive voice of pro cycling. Since then, major publishing house Future PLC has owned the site and expanded it to include top features, news, results, photos and tech reporting. The site continues to be the most comprehensive and authoritative English voice in professional cycling.
Latest on Cyclingnews
-
Castelli ditches Gore-Tex for the new Perfetto RoS 3, and I think I prefer the old one
A highly technical garment with environmentally-friendly construction, but too breezy for proper winter conditions, so you'll need a better base layer (and a waterproof hardshell too) -
'Long day, long climbs, and a bit of oxygen deprivation' provide fuel for five-time Leadville winner Keegan Swenson to achieve Marathon MTB world championship dream
Kate Courtney's overcomes late puncture for second world title and gives Leadville Trail 100 MTB elite riders a sweep in Switzerland -
Valladolid to deploy 450 police for Vuelta a España time trial amid indications pro-Palestine protests could further intensify
Government official warns of 'signs of extra action' planned by protestors -
Best bike bells: Safety and style on the bike
Help keep yourself and others safe with one of the best bike bells