The Junior Tour of Ireland got underway in Co Clare this evening, Tuesday, with Luca Bednarek claiming the opening stage and first yellow jersey (Photo: Sean Rowe)
The Junior Tour of Ireland got underway in Co Clare this evening, Tuesday, with British riders filling the top three positions and Jack Woods, the Crabbe Dstny rider competing with Team Ireland this week, best of the Irish in 4th place.
The stage came down to a mass bunch sprint after none of the attacks stuck, with Luca Bednarek of US-based team Hot Tubes getting the verdict in what was a close run thing after 63km of racing to Barefield.
He led in Lee Valley Youth CC team mates Toby Tombs and Edwin Boyle, who were 2nd and 3rd, just ahead of first-year junior Woods, who has gotten his challenge off to a strong start with plenty of hard racing to come.
The Irish team – Woods, Hugh Óg Mulhearne, Toby Sweetman, Peter Quigley and Curtis McKee – were among those on the attack today and pushing the pace on the only categorised climb of the day; the cat 2 Maghera crested about 25km from the finish.
Luca Bednarek (Hot Tubes) wins stage one of the Quanta Capital Junior Tour
Toby Tombs & Eddie Boyle (Lee Valley Youth CC) in 2nd & 3rd.
Full results as soon as they’re available! #JTI25 pic.twitter.com/qz4UtWQGRF
— Junior Tour Ireland (@JTIreland1) July 8, 2025
However, despite those efforts on the climb, and an attack by eventual 3rd place finisher Boyle, the bunch went over the top of the climb intact.
Maximum points were taken by Alec Sorby (Lee Valley Youth CC Team 3) from Seth Jackson (FH MAS Cams), Casey Warren (Team California 1) and Robin Daniels (Ignite Junior Cycling).
After the fast run-in from the cop of the climb to the finish, a large bunch went to the line to fight it out for stage honours, and the first yellow jersey of the 2025 edition.
A total of 99 riders are in the field this year, and about one third of those are Irish, with a lot of visitors from the United States and Great Britain. The Junior Tour of Ireland – sponsored by Quanta Capital – very clearly continues to generate very strong interest across the international junior scene.
And that interest is once again in evidence this year despite the junior European Track Championships effectively clashing with the race, not to mention the Ain Bugey Valromey Tour, France’s premier junior stage race, also overlapping with the Junior Tour, as it starts on Thursday.
Stage 1 | Maghera-Barefield (63km)
Bednarek, Luca Hot Tubes 1h22m59s
Tombs, Toby Lee Valley Youth CC Team 1 1h22m59s
Boyle, Eddie Lee Valley Youth CC Team 1 1h22m59s
Woods, Jack Cycling Ireland 1h22m59s
Warren, Casey Team California 1 1h22m59s
Kowalonek, Joel Boost Cycle Sport 1h22m59s
Sweetman, Toby Cycling Ireland 1h22m59s
Bertin, Gabriel Ignite Junior Cycling 1h22m59s
Lloyd, Owen Team Velosport 1h22m59s
Arey, Ben Halesowen Academy-Mapei 1h22m59s
Beshore, Garrett Boulder Junior Cycling 1h22m59s
Ask, Thayer Boulder Junior Cycling 1h22m59s
Ausberger, Freddie Lee Valley Youth CC Team 1 1h22m59s
Dhokia, Vyaan Team PAU 1h22m59s
McGlaughlin, Reid Boost Cycle Sport 1h22m59s
Standley, Nathaniel New England-Cadence Wealth Management1h22m59s
Hilditch, Samuel Team Rauland 1h22m59s
Bauer, Wendel Team California 1 1h22m59s
Óg Mulhearne, Hugh Cycling Ireland 1h22m59s
Evans, Chandler Hot Tubes 1h22m59s
Hummel, Nils Team California 1 1h22m59s
Freyre, Caden Hot Tubes 1h22m59s
Duncan, Brodie West Lothian Clarion CC #1 1h22m59s
Jarm, Charles New England-Cadence Wealth Management1h22m59s
Sorby, Alec Lee Valley Youth CC Team 3 1h22m59s
Willer, Lane Team Velosport 1h22m59s
Jackson, Seth FH MAS Cams 1h22m59s
Cairns, Owen Team PAU 1h22m59s
Kehoe, Luke Cycling Leinster 1h22m59s
Armstrong, James Cycling Ulster 1h22m59s
Goodwin, Angelo New England-Cadence Wealth Management1h22m59s
Haynes, Dylan Boulder Junior Cycling 1h22m59s
Mohr, Desmond Boulder Junior Cycling 1h22m59s
Cressey-Rodgers, Huw Team PAU 1h22m59s
Oldfield, Ryan Halesowen Academy-Mapei 1h22m59s
Price-Glynn, Lucas Boost Cycle Sport 1h22m59s
McKee, Curtis Cycling Ireland 1h22m59s
Byrne, Darragh Cycling Leinster 1h22m59s
Watkins, Huw Lee Valley Youth CC Team 1 1h22m59s
Zavalla, Aidan Team California 1 1h22m59s
Ratcliffe, Mikey Halesowen Academy-Mapei 1h22m59s
Kinrade, James Lee Valley Youth CC Team 3 1h22m59s
Zikovitz, Evan Ignite Junior Cycling 1h22m59s
Lucas, Evan Ignite Junior Cycling 1h22m59s
Henry, Cameron Cycling Ulster 1h22m59s
Daniels, Robin Ignite Junior Cycling 1h22m59s
Walls, Matthew Cycling Leinster 1h22m59s
Geddes Gasco, Luca Lee Valley Youth CC Team 2 1h22m59s
McRae, Patrick Team Rauland 1h22m59s
O’Shaughnessy, Oliver Shay Murphy DevelopmentTeam 1h22m59s
McLean, Jake Ignite Junior Cycling 1h22m59s
Riemer, Nathan Boulder Junior Cycling 1h22m59s
Freeman, Ben Halesowen Academy-Mapei 1h22m59s
Olson, Zachary Team Velosport 1h22m59s
Killeen, Fionn Cycling Leinster 1h22m59s
Lunt, Jake Lee Valley Youth CC Team 2 1h22m59s
Alcock, Charles Team Rauland 1h22m59s
Martinkus, Kristupas O’Leary Stone Kanturk 1h22m59s
Quigley, Peter Cycling Ireland 1h22m59s
Wheller, Noah Lee Valley Youth CC Team 2 1h22m59s
Harvey, Ted Team PAU 1h22m59s
Lopez, Solomon Boost Cycle Sport 1h22m59s
Levitt, Nathan Lee Valley Youth CC Team 1 1h22m59s
Ray, Jack Hot Tubes 1h22m59s
Koster, Sebastian Hot Tubes 1h22m59s
Sullivan, Thomas Team Velosport 1h22m59s
O’Mahony, John Munster Spin 11 1h22m59s
Egan, Joe Halesowen Academy-Mapei 1h22m59s
Matthews, Adam Cycling Ulster 1h22m59s
Ritter, Levi Team Velosport 1h22m59s
O’ Callaghan, Oran O’Leary Stone Kanturk 1h22m59s
Gervez, Nathaniel New England-Cadence Wealth Management1h22m59s
McCaffrey, Callum Cycling Leinster 1h22m59s
Lawless, Jack Leinster Development 1h22m59s
Jacquemet-Ross, Raphael West Lothian Clarion CC #1 1h22m59s
Mortlock, Bodhi Team Rauland 1h22m59s
Chittenden, Sydney Team Rauland 1h26m54s
Sexton, Ewan West Lothian Clarion CC #1 1h26m54s
Massey, Ben West Lothian Clarion #2 1h26m54s
Vorster, Cailean West Lothian Clarion CC #1 1h26m54s
O’Sullivan, Kieran Munster Spin 11 1h26m54s
O’Keeffe, Ben Munster Spin 11 1h26m54s
Fleming, Rory West Lothian Clarion CC #1 1h26m54s
Sheehan, Colin Munster Spin 11 1h26m54s
Horn, Andrew Team California 1 1h26m54s
Collins, Diarmuid Munster Spin 11 1h26m54s
Meehan, Jacob New England-Cadence Wealth Management1h26m54s
Thomas, Brion Team PAU 1h26m54s
Baker, Ben Lee Valley Youth CC Team 2 1h26m54s
Cloherty, Oscar Lee Valley Youth CC Team 3 1h26m54s
Kelly, Conor Cycling Ulster 1h36m49s
Tysoe, Joe Lee Valley Youth CC Team 3 1h36m49s
Carry, Finlay O’Leary Stone Kanturk 1h36m49s
Lane, Dan Leinster Development 1h36m49s
Lane, Matthew Shay Murphy DevelopmentTeam 1h36m49s
Thynne, Patrick O’Leary Stone Kanturk 1h36m49s
Maye, Bob Shay Murphy DevelopmentTeam 1h36m49s
Fitzgerald, Sean Shay Murphy DevelopmentTeam 1h36m49s
Moore, Ashton Cycling Ulster 1h36m49s