Irish team real hopes at Euro Road Champs

The Irish team for European Road Championships demonstrates the strength in depth of the Irish scene of late.

The squad gets underway in Herning, Denmark, tomorrow. And unlike national teams of the past, there are medal chances across several categories.

Going into these European Championships, only one of the 17 riders selected onto the Irish team receives any funding; Lydia Boylan.

Yet they pose a formidable threat, progressing despite the lack of support from the Irish sporting authorities.

And, in a very rare situation for an Irish road team, there are genuine medal prospects in a number of the road race and TT events.

Ben Walsh and Xeno Young get the Irish started tomorrow in the 31.5km TT. Both are exciting prospects.

Walsh has recently taken commanding wins in the Newry Three Day and Junior Tour of Ireland.

Young has just come out of the European Track Championships with an individual pursuit silver medal.

It’s difficult to determine their medal prospects in the TT tomorrow.

But Walsh and Young have already done enough – albeit in their own back yard and on the track respectively – to suggest a top 10 ride is possible.

And in the junior road race next Friday, the team is strong but largely untested at this level.

No matter what happens, the riders - John Buller, Aaron Doherty, Patrick Doogan, Walsh and Young – will know more about themselves when the 120.6km race is over.

The same could be said for Eileen Burns. She is one of the best female TT riders Ireland has ever produced.

She took 6^th in a UCI-ranked TT in Holland earlier in the year.

Her riding these Europeans will offer some insight into where she stands in terms of top flight testing. She is the sole Irish rider in the elite women’s TT on Thursday.

Lydia Boylan is the only Irish woman in elite women’s road race on Saturday. She took a pro win earlier this year on the road. It was the best result ever by an Irish woman.

However, on her own at this level next weekend, she will be up against it.

Between the junior men and the elite women; the junior TT riders are the ones to watch in terms of results. A top 10 result would be fantastic and we will soon know if they are in that range.

When we move into the elite and U23 men’s line-ups, the strength of this team is clearer.

The riders have competed internationally more often and have established credentials.

Suddenly, Ireland has riders who cannot just medal but win the elite and U23 TTs and road races.

Of course the Irish may come away with no medals. But the prospects are absolutely real on the eve of these championships.

First of Irish hitters into action are Eddie Dunbar and Michael O’Loughlin; in the U23 TT on Thursday.

Dunbar is in his second year with Axeon Berman Hagens in the US and O’Loughlin is riding in the colours of Team Wiggins

Dunbar is regarded as a strong and ultra aggressive road racer. But his TT performances have been his best at major championships.

A former junior and U23 Irish champion against the watch, Dunbar was last year 6^th in the Europeans TT and 9^th in the Worlds.

This year he has taken his best ever result; victory in the U23 Tour of Flanders.

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O’Loughlin’s, a year younger, is also firmly on his way. He finished 8^th overall in the Rás and won the U23 classification there.

Most promisingly, he was climbing among the very best in the race.

He was 15^th in the Europeans TT last year. Two years ago he won the TT stage at the Trophée Centre Morbihan Nations Cup race and was 2^nd overall.

And as a junior he was 8^th in the junior TT at the World Championships.

When it comes to Thursday’s U23 TT both Dunbar and O’Loughlin are capable of medalling; if they are in top form and all goes well.

And the scenario is the same in the U23 road race on Saturday. However, Dunbar and O’Loughlin would perhaps like a hillier course.

They have the legs to get into a winning breakaway, which is what they will need to do to medal.

And they have a very strong support team in Daire Feeley, Darragh O’Mahony and Rás stage winner Matthew Teggart.

An Post-Chainreaction man Teggart may not have Dunbar’s and O’Loughlin’s results in major championships. But he is developing into a class act.

And he has developed a useful habit of performing on the biggest stages. He is one to keep a very close eye on for the remainder of this season.

If the Irish U23 riders are real medal prospects in their TT and road race, the elites have an even better chance.

Ryan Mullen goes in the 46km elite TT on Thursday. His 5^th in the TT at the Worlds last year and 2^nd in the U23 TT at the Worlds three years ago speak for themselves.

They mean he will go into these championships looking for a medal.

Mullen will be in action again on Sunday as part of the elite road race team riding for Sam Bennett.

The Irish sprinter had been out of racing action for six weeks between winning two stages at the Tour of Slovenia and finishing 8^th on Sunday at RideLondon-Surrey Classic.

However, that ride in England will hopefully have blown any cobwebs away. And if he were to get a clear run at the line on Sunday he is capable of winning.

As well as Mullen, Sam Bennett is backed in the 241km race by Matt Brammeier, Sean McKenna and Damien Shaw.