Matt Brammeier, Sam Bennett, Dan Martin and Nicolas Roche will wear the green of Ireland at the World Road Race Championships elite race in Florence on Sunday week, Cycling Ireland has confirmed this evening (Photo: Toby Watson)
Cycling Ireland has selected Sam Bennett and Matt Brammeier as the two riders who will join Dan Martin and Nicolas Roche on the Irish team for the elite men’s race at the World Road Championships in Florence on Sunday week.
The selection means there is no place in the team for Philip Lavery, the only other Irish rider in the running to be selected. He has been named as first reserve.
The federation had originally named Martin, Roche and Philip Deignan on the team and at that point it looked as if the last place was between Ronan McLaughlin (An Post Chainreaction), Connor McConvey (Synergy Baku), Brammeier (Champion System), Bennett (An Post Chainreaction) and Lavery who is currently on a trial with French pro team Cofidis until the end of the season.
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However, in the past week a three-man short list emerged for the final place, featuring the names of Brammeier, Bennett and Lavery.
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Yesterday, Tuesday, Deignan (Unitedhealthcare) crashed and broke his collarbone at the Tour of Britain stage 3 time trial. That unfortunate spill has ruled him out of the race and so Cycling Ireland needed to select two riders to join Martin (Garmin Sharp) and Roche (Saxo Tinkoff) on the Worlds team.
This evening the federation has said those riders are Brammeier and Bennett.
The former has won the National Road Race Championships for the past four years and has ridden the elite Worlds before, as well as being a member of the pro peloton for more years than his rivals for the place. And it seems his blend of class and experience has landed him a place on the team.
Bennett is currently riding the Tour of Britain and was second on stage 2 and finished 22nd in yesterday’s TT. He has also been going well in Belgium in recent weeks and that late season form has landed him a place in the four-man team.
Lavery has been named as reserve but will undoubtedly feel disappointed after having had a huge season in France. He has effectively progressed from riding for a strong club there onto securing a trial with a Pro Continental team after a string of wins and very strong rides this season.
He was second to Brammeier in the Nationals, having been third behind Brammeier and Roche last year, and has also acquitted himself very well since taking up his trial with Cofidis six weeks ago; riding against the best teams in the world.
The not insignificant consolation for the 23-year-Dubliner is that he has made massive progress this year and looks to be on the verge of joining the paid ranks next year. At such a young age, he also has many years ahead to make the Worlds and indeed an Olympic team.
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