Ryan Mullen TT bike gone missing: A bronze medal winner in the elite Europeans, 2nd in the U23 Worlds and 5th in the elite Worlds, Ryan Mullen is going for gold in Ireland told, though his TT race bike is missing
Drama for Ryan Mullen
The defending champion and the favourite to win the elite
men’s National TT Championships today, Ryan Mullen’s bike had gone missing.
He said last night not only had United Parcel Service
already lost his road bike, now his TT bike had gone missing.
Mullen has just returned from the European Games in Minsk, Belarus, and his TT machine - a Trek Speed Concept - went missing in transit.
He flew with KLM out of Minsk and the bike is missing
arising from that journey.
Mullen, who has done the Irish road race and TT
championships double twice in his career, was 4th in the test in Minsk.
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That event was held on Tuesday and left him and Michael
O’Loughlin with very little time to get back to Ireland for today’s TT.
At the time of writing the bike had not been found but
Mullen has source an alternative TT machine, believe to be one of his own left
in Ireland, and other kit.
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However, between the travel time and the stress of the
bike going missing, he hasn’t exactly enjoyed ideal preparation.
The Trek-Segafredo man goes into today’s 41.48km test as
favourite, though Eddie Dunbar (Team Ineos) could also win.
Marcus Christie (Performance SBR) and Paul Kennedy (Foran CC) have medalled at the championships in recent years and should also be in the mix in the elite men’s race.
No Junior Women’s TT Champs
The planned junior women’s TT at the National
Championships in Donegal is not going ahead today for lack of interest.
Only four riders entered and because that was not enough to make it a championship event there is now no junior women’s TT title up for grabs.
It’s a disappointing development and one that is perhaps
hard to understand in the current climate.
A total of 11 juniors rode the recent National Track
Championships and places in the Worlds TT were available to the Irish.
With a junior women’s road race having been run last
year, one would have perhaps expected more support for the TT this year.
It means those riders who had entered and were keen to
fight for medals now don’t get their chance.
However, the junior women’s road race is going ahead this
weekend meaning the best of teenage talent will be on show in the Derry road
races.
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