The Irish rode on the front for much of the early section of the World Championships. Was that wise? What else could they have done? And what was the key factor impacting the team's result in the U23 road race? (Photo: Sean Rowe)

The U23 Irish team's tactics at World Champs

In the disappointment after the U23 road race at the World Championships there was much comment on social media about how the Irish team had ridden.

Eddie Dunbar would challenge late in the race before fading to 20^th; a decent result but far off the hoped-for podium or even victory.

Many were delighted to see the green jerseys on the front of the race for very long periods during the first half of the event.

Others were less sure of the tactics; questioning why Ireland was towing around the mighty nations of the sport - some of them with several Eddie Dunbar-level stars in their teams.

Even some of the riders chipped into the debate, posting their own messages about why they had ridden the way they did.

It’s important to say that none of the commentary was overly critical or even “blaming”.

The cycling community watches the road teams closely; supporting them and willing them on to do well when representing the country.

But given the volume of comments that appeared and the fact that Dunbar was such a strong prospect, it is worth teasing out some of the talking points.

Should the team have ridden as they did? If so, why and what were the alternative possible tactics? Should the squad have buried themselves so spectacularly for one man? Should Dunbar have been the only leader?

Team leader

Let’s take one of those last points first; the issue of team leadership. Was the “all for one” approach wise, especially considering most of the team did not finish the race?

Or would it have been better to allow some of the riders mind themselves a little more in the hope they would finish; a decent result for any rider at this level.

In every team Eddie Dunbar has gone to since he was a junior – NFTO in the UK, Axeon Berman Hagens in the US and the Irish-registered Aqua Blue Sport – he has sparkled.

When Aqua Blue Sport couldn’t see out even its second season, Dunbar was a Team Sky rider within weeks; snapped up by the biggest team in the world.

And when he began riding with them the week before last, he was instrumental in setting up Gianni Moscon for two wins in Italy. He took 8^th in another race after attacking on the climbs with Nairo Quintana.

Just before starting out with Team Sky he rode the Tour de l’Avenir; proving beyond doubt he was one of the best U23 climbers in the world and being pipped for victory on the final mountain stage.

Dunbar is a special rider; a once in a generation – many once in several generations – cyclist for Ireland.

Without fear of exaggeration, it would be no surprise at all to see him in a leadership role of some sort at next year’s Vuelta with Team Sky.

He’s only just turned 22 years old but already that’s the level he is at. What was really pleasing to see yesterday was the clear decision-making before the race and the follow-through on the road.

Dunbar was installed as outright leader. Everyone else on the team was riding for him. And when the time came; the Irish riders stepped up and put themselves on the line for him.

This may seem like basic tactics; but the level of unity witnessed in this team yesterday is not always guaranteed when egos and talent gather into a national selection.

If we can quality more riders at elite level for the Worlds, and get as many of our very best riders to ride the European Championships in the years ahead; the kind of unity seen yesterday might carry one of our top riders to a European road title.

In short; installing Dunbar as leader and getting everyone else to sacrifice their chance of even finishing was the right thing to do yesterday.

And the unity this team showed was exemplary; a standard has now been set.

But what about the way they rode?

On the face of it; it was difficult to understand why the Irish team hit the front so early. They rode on the front in pursuit of no hoper breakaways with hours left to race.

And tucked in behind them – out of the breeze and keeping their powder dry – were the strongest nations and best U23 riders in the world.

Why did the Irish take on this responsibility so far out and with so many stronger nations also competing in a race that featured dozens of WorldTour riders?

The answer is that reality - about how hard it would be to influence the race on the finishing circuit - was faced and digested by the team before the start.

This was a race of two halves. The first half was the 80km race to the circuit in Innsbruck. And the second half of the race began once the circuit was reached for four laps; with a 20-miniute climb on each lap.

Like most of the riders in the field; the Irish could only hope to compete as a team – strongly enough to truly influence the racing and to truly help Dunbar – on the journey to the circuit.

And even during that section of the race; it was during the 60km before the Gnadenwald climb that the Irish were going to be able to impose as a team.

What other tactics were open to the Irish?

The only other thing the Irish could have done was to stay away from the front on that opening section on the way to the circuit.

They could have sat it; maybe gathered around Eddie Dunbar around 20 riders back.

They would have been able to keep him sheltered and near the front out of trouble; though crashes can happen anywhere.

Had they done that, it probably would have made no difference to the eventual scenario of Dunbar being on his own when the racing began in earnest on the hilly finishing circuit.

With a testing 20-minute climb on each of the four laps and a hard ascent before the circuit - and Dunbar the only specialist climber in the Ireland team - the options were limited.

Even if all of the team had really minded themselves before they got to the circuit, it was doubtful they could have played a significantly influential role on the climbs.

All we would have seen was Dunbar close to the front on his own when the climbing commenced.

And then the questions would have began about why the Irish team was absent for the whole race.

Did the tactics damage Ireland's final result?

Definitely not. The biggest reason why Eddie Dunbar did not feature on the last lap was because his form deserted him yesterday. And for that there can be no blame.

Dunbar has been flying of late. He seemed to hit fantastic condition at the Tour de l’Avenir.

And then when he began a series of one-day races in Italy with Team Sky two weeks ago he looked to be floating up the climbs.

At one point in the Marco Pantani Memorial it was he and Nairo Quintana (Movistar) whose attacks on the climbs split the field.

And in the Giro della Toscana-Memorial Alfredo Martini days earlier, a climbing surge by Dunbar saw only three riders able to stay with him.

Those three were his Team Sky team mate Gianni Moscon, Romain Bardet (AG2R-La Mondiale) and Domenico Pozzovivo (Bahrain Merida).

Had Dunbar had those legs yesterday, he may have gotten a medal and he may even have won.

It is highly likely Dunbar would have been able to follow the key attack up the last climb by Bjorg Lambrecht of Belgium.

His surge forward pulled clear Marc Hirschi of Switzerland and Jaakko Hanninen of Finland. And that was the medals decided.

And had Dunbar kept the legs he had in Italy and been in that group; the Team Ireland performance would have been hailed as masterful.

Unfortunately in bike racing condition can rise and dip. And it was just very frustrating for Eddie Dunbar that he suffered a slight dip yesterday.

But no blame can attach to that; there is nothing he could have done.

On another day he may have found his form even slightly higher than the condition he was in riding for Team Sky in Italy two weeks ago.

But sadly his legs went the other way; off the boil a little. He acknowledged that in his post-race remarks.

He said he knew as the race wore on that the top percentage of his climbing power wasn’t there when he reached for it.

That was why he tried to get ahead on the flat before the final climb. And there is nothing else he could have done.

He tried his best; switched his tactics when he sensed he needed to. And he was then honest in his appraisal afterwards.

His team couldn’t help him on the climbs in the last couple of laps. But very few nations had more than one rider in the reckoning at that point.

But each one of them gave it their all. And they were unified behind the one among them who had the best chance; Dunbar. We can ask nothing more from any rider competing in the green of Ireland.