Irish teams named for World Road Champs; Hutchinson picked, McLaughlin in mix

McLaughlin leads Downey and Bennett at Kreiz Breizh last month – McLaughlin may join the other two at the Worlds

Cycling Ireland has named four teams for next month’s World Championships in Valkenberg, Holland, for the road race and time trial (TT) events.

In the elite men’s road race Dan Martin (Garmin-Sharp) leads the way with Nicolas Roche (Ag2r), while the third place on the team will go to Matt Brammeier (Omega Pharma-Quickstep), Philip Deignan (Unitedhealthcare) or Ronan McLaughlin (An Post-Sean Kelly).

The destination of that final place will be decided a little closer to the championships and after consultation with those three riders.

In the elite TT, it’s three time Olympian David McCann (RTS Racing) and new National TT Champion Michael Hutchinson (In-Gear Quickvit Trainsharp RT) who will be donning the green of Ireland in Valkenberg.

Hutchinson has always been a British rider but coming from Northern Ireland he has switched his allegiance to Ireland and has now been rewarded for that with a place at the Worlds.

In the elite women’s events a three-rider team will travel.

Representing Ireland in both the road race and the TT will be National TT Champion Olivia Dillon (NOW and Novartis for MS) and World Track Championships bronze medallist Caroline Ryan (Richies Cycles-Garda CC).

They will be joined in the road race by professional rider Siobhan Horgan (GSD Gestion).

In the U23 events it has been decided a full male team will travel.

In that line-up will be Sean Downey (An Post-Sean Kelly), who will be the only U23 rider to take in both the TT and road race. He will be joined in the road race by Sam Bennett (An Post-Sean Kelly) and U23 National Road Race Champion Philip Lavery (Node4-Giordana).

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First-year U23 rider Jack Wilson (Ucs Crabbé Performance VOO) has also done very well to get the nod from the selectors for the road race.

Joining Downey in the TT will be Conor Dunne (Vl Technics – Abutriek), the National U23 TT Champion.

In the junior ranks, Ryan Mullen (Planet X) will ride the TT and the road race. He will be joined in the road race by Cormac Clarke (Newry Wheelers), who was Ireland’s top finisher in the Junior Tour of Ireland this year in third place.

The third junior in the road team is Foyle CC’s Matthew Doyle. He has enjoyed a good run of late, finishing second in the National Junior Road Race Championships in Co Louth last weekend and enjoying a win in Belgium on a recent racing trip there.

Thomas Fallon (Seven Springs) has been named as first reserve for the juniors.

Elite Men

Dan Martin (RR)
Nicolas Roche (RR)
Last place in road race will go to Matt Brammeier or Philip Deignan or Ronan McLaughlin
David McCann (TT)
Michael Hutchinson (TT)

Elite Women