UCD CC rider Joseph Breheny looks to be loving the racing and training in Perth, Australia. The Dubliner capped off a memorable few months yesterday with a brilliant fourth-place finish in a qualifier event for the UCI amateur world championships later this year.
By Brian Canty
UCD CC rider Joseph Breheny has qualified for the UCI amateur world championships - UCI Gran Fondo World Series - to be held in Perth next September after a brilliant fourth place in a qualifier event yesterday.
The 26-year old has spent the last six months training in the city on the west coast of Australia and rounded off his ‘winter’ by storming in for a superb result from a stacked field.
Breheny braved blistering hot temperatures, intense competition and a bizarre sabotage effort from non-cyclists in the area who caused chaos by spraying tacks and nails all over the 143-kilometre course.
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He had no teammates to assist him but having raced for the last number of months, Breheny knew who to follow.
“I’m happy to have finished so high up and inside the 25% of 90 starters that qualified, but I’m annoyed at how the end of the race went,” he said.
Coming to the line in a small group in the 18-40 age category, Breheny’s group mopped up some older age categories inside the last kilometre, making a clean sprint impossible.
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Breheny, fifth from left, sprints in for 4th place at the end of the qualifying race yesterday.
“I came around a group and made up ground on my nearest rival but I ran out of road by half a bike length.
“The technical guide said the finish was 200m from the final corner but it was actually only 100m.
“If I had another 200 metres I probably would have made the podium.
“Having said that, I felt great, the legs were good in the sprint and I was happy with qualifying – and not crashing.”
Indeed, there were numerous spills in the race due to the course being peppered with nails and tacks which caused blowouts.
“I didn't experience any myself, luckily, but in the final 50 kilometres I saw about 50 riders get punctures.
“Also, looking at the DNFs in each category and talking to mates, many strong riders are going to miss out on the final as a result of the actions of a selfish few.
“With no support or neutral service I consider myself very lucky not to have punctured or crashed.”
Breheny plans to return in September as he’s currently on the plane home to Ireland for the domestic road season.
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