Irish rider Mark Downey during yesterday's U23 road race at the World Championships in Bergen. He enjoyed a fantastic ride on a day when the 'peloton' was slimmed to just 37 riders (Photo: Sean Rowe)
Mark Downey on taking on WorldTour riders in Bergen
Irish cyclist Mark Downey has expressed his satisfaction with his 9th place in the U23 road race at the Worlds in Bergen.
It was Ireland’s best result in an U23 road race at a Worlds, equalling Philip Deignan’s 9th in Madrid in 2005.
Yesterday at the end of the 191km race Downey was in a reduced peloton of 37 riders sprinting for the bronze medal.
Frenchman Benoit Cosnefroy and Germany’s Lennard Kamna had broken clear for gold a silver.
The leading pair finished just three seconds ahead of the group Downey was in.
“If you told me at the beginning of the year that I’d be ninth in the World Championships I wouldn’t have believed it,” said Downey.
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“It was one of those days when everything falls into place. I saved energy when I could, I kept on top of the food and stayed in the right place.
“I stayed out of trouble coming to the finish and came ninth. To end the season like that I’m really, really happy.
“I think everyone tipped it to be a sprinter’s race, but I don’t think there were many sprinters at that front group in the end.
"Really it wasn’t a sprint – it was just about who would get to that line first.
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“It means a lot to me, when you look at the guys in the top 10s and 20s and there are world tour guys – this year I was an amateur in France.
“To be up there and elbowing those boys towards the finish – it bodes well for the future.
“There’s a lot of people who mightn’t think ninth would mean a lot – but for me that’s something special.
“All day we were together. (We were) looking after each other before the race really hotted up,” said Downey.
Mark Downey was in a five-man Irish team with Matt Teggart, Daire Feely, Darragh O'Mahony and Adam Stenson.
He also thanked the staff around him and his coach David Muntaner.
The 21-year-old from Dromore has had an incredible 12-18 months. Last winter he lit up the international track scene. He put Ireland on the map where Martyn Irvine left off.
Out of the Banbridge CC stable, Downey first claimed a medal at U23 level in the European Track Championships in July of last year.
He then followed that up with a gold medal in the points race at the UCI World Cup in Apeldoorn, Holland, in November.
And then another points race gold and a Madison silver medal followed at the UCI World Cup in Cali, Colombia, last month.
At the end of April Downey scored an incredible hat trick; taking his third gold medal in as many UCI World Cups.
This time he claimed gold in the Madison with partner Felix English.
And let’s not forget Downey in 2014 took a scratch race silver medal at junior level. He did that at the European Track Championships.
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