Sam Bennett got himself into serious shape 12 months ago for the UCI World Road Race Championships in Richmond, Virginia and looks to have timed his form very well again this time around. His 40th place last year didn't do him any justice but anyone who watched the race saw he was in the final selection fighting for the win. And look who was two places behind him when this shot was taken late on...
By Brian Canty
Despite a recent bout of bronchitis Sam Bennett has been selected to lead the Irish elite men’s road race team at the upcoming UCI World Championships in Qatar.
The Bora-Argon 18 man will have the assistance of Matt Brammeier (Dimension Data) and Ryan Mullen (Cannondale-Drapac) who make up the three-man team.
It’s a small squad but on a flat course suited to sprinters, the focus will be on getting Bennett to the line in the best possible shape to contest an expected gallop on Sunday, October 16th.
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To that end, the role of Brammeier and Mullen will be very much keeping Bennett out of the wind and fetching bottles and food from the team car for as long as possible.
On a flat course where the wind often shreds the peloton, Brammeier should be in his element.
Mullen is far less experienced at the job but it’s one he has done on several occasions this year for Cannondale-Drapac.
The latter will also do the elite time-trial which takes place four days earlier on Wednesday October 12th.
Carrick on Suir will be well represented in Qatar with Bennett, right and Michael O'Loughlin leading the elite and espoir teams, respectively.
The other rider competing in the elite men’s time-trial is national champion Nicolas Roche (Team Sky) and as he’s not doing the road race he’ll be going all out to secure a top result against the clock.
He opted out of the team for the road race to focus entirely on the race against the clock.
Of the 12 riders selected on the various teams there’s just one woman and that’s Anna Turvey.
She will only ride the elite women’s time-trial on Tuesday October 11th.
The Scottish woman has declared for Ireland and in her maiden national championships in June this year she won the gold medal by over three minutes.
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She rode the Commonwealth Games in 2014 for Scotland, is a former British duathlon champion and earlier this year she crushed the British 25-mile record.
The 28.9-kilometre course in Doha will suit a strong rider like her and she could be a real dark horse, despite the quality of the field she will compete against.
An Post Chain Reaction team boss Kurt Bogaerts will manage the elite teams.
Eddie Dunbar will go into the men's U23 road race with the intention of being aggressive and though the outcome looks set to be decided by a bunch sprint, he won't be going to Doha to sit in the bunch and wait for that.
The men’s U23 road team has a very solid look about it and though none of the four will confess to being out and out sprinters they can all shine on any given day.
Daire Feeley, Matt Teggart, Eddie Dunbar and Michael O’Loughlin are the foursome selected and having soldiered together up through the underage and junior ranks they know each other extremely well – and that will count for an awful lot.
O'Loughlin has three more years at U23 while the other three have two more, but you won't hear that as an excuse afterwards.
The 166-kilometre contest on Thursday, October 13th, is being billed as a nailed-on bunch sprint but don’t expect the boys in green to read that script.
O’Loughlin and Dunbar will also do the time-trial on the opening day of action on Monday, October 10th.
Mark Downey withdrew from the team two weeks ago after making himself unavailable for selection. Neil Martin will manage the U23 teams.
The junior men’s road race team is led by national champion Jake Gray who makes his second appearance at this stage after also competing 12 months ago in the US.
He will have the full support of Xeno Young (Powerhouse Sport) and Ronan Tuomey (Cork Giant), both of whom will do the time-trial as well.
Young finished two seconds behind Ben Walsh (NRPT) at the national championships last month and is being tipped for a massive future while Tuomey was fourth in the nationals.
Both are underage again next year. Ciara Doogan was unavailable for selection for the junior women’s team as she has joined the track squad.
Martin O'Loughlin will manage the junior teams.
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