Stephen Roche's win at the 1987 World Championships was an incredible victory, but Irish riders have had many great rides at the Worlds, some long forgotten (Photo: Sirotti)
As Irish riders prepare for their road races at the World Road Championships in Richmond, Virginia, over the next few days stickybottle takes a look back on those rare occasions when the national team fought well above its weight.
Stephen Roche's pro men's win in 1987 and Mark Scanlon's victory in the junior race in Valkenburg in 1998 are the stand-out moments.
But we have had other medals and many other great performances that brought our best close to the most coveted one-day podium in pro cycling.
Sean Kelly never landed the big one in his 11 World Championship starts. He rode his first Worlds in 1979 and his last in 1992, finishing 9th in both.
Advertisement
He was in the top 10 an incredible seven times and never once failed to finish when he had the green jersey on his back.
Stephen Roche 1st: Villach, 1987
The best one-day race result of any Irish rider, Stephen Roche attacked the select group in the very closing stages of the road race in Villach, Austria. He got a gap and held it all the way to the line after 6hrs 50mins in the saddle, with Moreno Argentin (Italy) just behind in 2nd and Juan Fernandez of Spain taking 3rd.
Mark Scanlon 1st: Valkenburg, 1998
Not unlike Roche’s win, Scanlon held his place on the Dutch course until the closing kilometres and attacked those he was with to win a glorious gold. It was a fantastic achievement that brought Ireland back to the Kelly-Roche glory days. He took victory after 2hrs 54 mins of racing from Filippo Pozzato of Italy and Eduard Kiwischow of Russia.
Shay Elliott 2nd: Salò, 1962
The tragic Irish trail blazer pulled clear in a breakaway in Italy with 1958 Vuelta winner Jean Stablinski, Belgian star Jos Hoevenaers and German Rolf Wolfshohl. Stablinski, a friend and one-time team mate of Elliott’s, persuaded him to attack on the penultimate lap. When he did, the other two riders combined to bring him back only for Stablinski to counter and ride to glory. It later transpired the Pole had paid the Belgian and Dutchman to ride for him. Elliott attacked them to take silver.
Ryan Mullen 2nd: Ponferrada, 2014
While the talented Irish international was disappointed this week when he failed to take a medal in the U23 TT in Richmond, he had a fantastic day at the Worlds in Ponferrada, Spain, last year. He set the quickest time in the 36.15km race and was in the hot seat until last man home Campbell Flakemore of Australia bested his time by 48 hundredths of a second. Mullen was forced to settle for silver, with Switzerland’s Stefan Kung in 3rd.
Sean Kelly 3rd: Goodwood, 1982
Related News
Kelly looked in a great position to win the title when he approached the finish in England in a group of around 25 riders. American Jonathan Boyer put in a fantastic attack in the last couple of kilometres and may just have hung on to win if USA team mate Greg LeMond had not jumped after him and towed the strongest in the group across. Just as LeMond was closing in on his compatriot, Italian Giuseppe Saronni attacked and powered ahead to win from LeMond and Kelly.
Stephen Roche 3rd: Altenrhein, 1983
On the back of Kelly’s bronze medal in England the previous year, the then third-year pro Roche lined out in Switzerland hopeful of a result. He had enjoyed a strong season with wins in the Tour de Romandie, Paris-Bourges, Grand Prix de Wallonie, Etoile des Espoirs and 13th overall in the Tour de France. Greg LeMond would win the title solo, some 1:11 ahead of Dutch rider Adri van der Poel who outsprinted Roche for silver.
Sean Kelly 3rd: Chambery, 1989
In soaking wet conditions, Kelly came to the finish of the 1989 Worlds in France as part of a six-man group. In the sprint to the line Greg LeMond was simply too strong for the others after 6:45 in the saddle. He took the gold just ahead of Russian Dimitri Konyshev with Kelly just behind him for another bronze medal.
Sean Kelly 5th: Colorado Springs, 1986
Moreno Argentin of Italy and Charley Mottet of France broke away to take gold and silver ahead of a large peloton in the United States. The sprint for 3rd from that group was taken by Italian Giuseppe Saronni, with Kelly two back in 5th.
Sean Kelly 5th: Villach, 1987
It was the year Roche won after taking his chance to attack very late having worked for Kelly for most of the way. The Carrick man was in that front group with Roche and sailed over the line, his two arms aloft in celebration of Roche’s win, in 5th place.
Sean Kelly 5th: Utsunomiya, 1990
Belgian team mates Rudy Dhaenens and Dirk De Wolf pulled ahead of a large group to take gold and silver in Japan. Just eight seconds back, Gianni Bugno of Italy took the sprint for 3rd with Kelly again two places back to take 5th; a near identical scenario to four years earlier in Colorado.
Topics
