Cycling Ireland head coach - pictured with track rider Cormac Clarke - said the federation was "doing its best" after the selection for the World Road Championships drew criticism (Photo with thanks to Guy Swarbrick)
By Brian Canty
Cycling Ireland head coach Brian Nugent has said the decision to leave unfilled one berth in the elite men’s road race at the World Road Championships in Richmond, Virginia, on Sunday week was not taken lightly.
With three riders qualified, the federation opted to send just two; Sam Bennett (Bora-Argon 18) and Conor Dunne (An Post-Chainreaction) getting the nod.
A combination of injury, poor form and fatigue ruled out Team Sky’s Nicolas Roche and Philip Deignan as well as Dan Martin (Cannondale-Garmin) and Matt Brammeier (MTN Qhubeka).
With those four off the stage and with one place still to fill, Damien Shaw of Team ASEA and Conor McConvey of Team 3M were seen by many as worthy of a chance.
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However, when Cycling Ireland decided not to fill the place the decision was met with criticism by many.
“Damien is here with us now at a track camp preparing for the European Championships,” said Nugent of national road champion Shaw’s absence from the team for Richmond.
“No one in the track team is going to the World (Road) Championship because we’re preparing for the World Cups and the two sometimes don’t help each other."
Nugent, along with team managers Neil Martin and Kurt Bogaerts, was tasked with picking the team for the US and said leaving riders out and not filling the quota was not a call they made lightly.
Across the elite men's and women's TT and road race events, U23 men's and junior male and female categories, Ireland was eligible for 24 starts in the US but has taken up 17.
“I’ve been trying to emphasise we’re running a track and a road programme, not one or the other,” continued Nugent.
“Damien is happy to ride for the national team in the Europeans and with the engine he has he can do well in the individual events as well as really help the team pursuit squad.
“When Ryan (Mullen) left the squad he was the perfect replacement. He’s happy to be here.”
As for McConvey, Nugent explained: “Conor was on the list but didn’t meet the criteria. This is one of the hardest races of the year and he’s not at that standard. That was not a decision we took lightly.
“People will say ‘why aren’t you filling the spots’ but this is the hardest race of the year, people must realise that.”
As for both Roche and Deignan’s decision not to go, Nugent said: “Nico, and full credit to him for this, rang me recently and just said he was run down after a long season and who could argue with him?
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“He’s got a wedding coming up and we have to respect his decision.
“Philip declined the offer because the course wasn’t suited to his characteristics; he knows best, he’s been here many times before. I can’t make people go.
“It’s just been an unfortunate year; Dan crashed hard in the Vuelta and he wouldn’t have been able to have the preparation he’d have liked so he’s out.
“Matt (Brammeier) was obviously out of contention after his crash in Utah.
“We decided that having a good road programme was one of the criteria riders had to satisfy and we’re happy the guys we’ve picked meet that criteria. It was a decision that all of us arrived at, not just me.”
Ireland won’t be represented in the elite men’s time-trial next week, with neither Dunne nor Bennett interested.
“The time-trial was a non-runner for the lads, they know they won’t be in contention for that and were happy to just go all out for the road race.”
The junior road and time trial teams will be managed by junior coach Frank O’Leary while Nugent will oversee the U23 and elite women’s TT squads.
Neill Martin and Bogaerts will oversee the various road squads.
“We’re doing our best but it’s not easy,” said Nugent.
“People were quick to criticise the fact we had no road team in the U23 road race and I was as disappointed about that as anyone.
“That’s why I went to Aigle in Switzerland myself to meet with the UCI and plead our case,” he said in reference to lobbying to get Irish riders into the U23 road race despite the team not qualifying for it.
“I asked them could they do anything because we have some good riders and they offered us one place, though we wanted two.
“Then we had to go back and tell Eddie (Dunbar) and Ryan (Mullen) that," he said of the U23 riders already picked to ride the U23 TT in Richmond.
"But there was no animosity, Ryan turned around and offered the place to Eddie because he’s going all out for the time-trial.”
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