Sam Bennett secures extra places for Irish team at World Road Champs

Sam Bennett may have been disappointed with this 2nd place in London yesterday two weeks ago. But that runner-up placing and his 6th in the Europeans a week later secured two extra places for the Irish elite men's team at the Yorkshire World Championships

Sam Bennett’s recent run of form since he returned to racing after his national title win in Derry City in July has ensured Ireland can enter six elite riders at the World Championships in Yorkshire.

Without the points the Irish rider scored at the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic, where he was 2nd, and European Championships, where he was 6th, Ireland would have lost places.

Bennett earned 250 points for his London placing, behind winner Elia Viviani, and claimed 90 points for his Europeans ride.

That was the difference between Ireland placing 19^th or 23th in the World Tour nation rankings on the day the qualification window close.

Those nations ranked in the top eight last Sunday, August
11, can enter eight riders in the elite men’s road race in Yorkshire next
month.

Countries ranked from 9^th to 20^th
in the nations rankings last Sunday can enter six riders.

Thanks to the 340 points earned by Bennett in London and the Europeans, Ireland are in that bracket and can enter six men in the elite road race in Yorkshire.

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Had Bennett not scored those points, Ireland would have
fallen to 23^rd, with only four riders eligible for the elite men’s
worlds road race.

Ireland had a total of 3254.4 points at the end of racing
last Sunday, which would have been 250 points less but for Bennett’s result on
the final day of the qualification period for the worlds.

The Carrick-on-Suir man not only secured some of those points on the final day of competition before the qualification process closed, he also contributed the most points towards qualification.

However, other Irish riders have also contributed a
significant amount of points towards qualifying Ireland six places.

Sam Bennett (Bora-hansgrohe) scored 936.43 points up to
the end of racing yesterday week when the qualifying window closed.

Dan Martin, the UAE Team Emirates man who is now destined
for Israel Cycling Academy, scored 822 points and Eddie Dunbar (Team Ineos) had
collected 580.66 points.

Nicolas Roche (Team Sunweb) secured 387.31 points, Rory
Townsend (Canyon) had 253 points while Ryan Mullen (Trek Segafredo) had 182
points.

Michael O’Loughlin (Le Col Wiggins) had scored 48 points
by last Sunday evening and Conor Dunne (Israel Cycling Academy) had collected
45 points.