The Tour de France is over for another year and wasn’t it all just a little sterile and predictable? Luckily, for those of us whose appetite isn’t nearly sated there are plenty more big ones coming up in the next few months and whisper it; Irish riders have great chances. From the Olympics to the European U23 Championships we’ve selected six events you might want to consider marking in the diary.
Olympic Games road race, Rio de Janeiro
When: Saturday, August 6th
Why: On a hilly course with 4,000 metres of climbing over 256 kilometres, few in the world can last the distance but Ireland’s Dan Martin and Nicolas Roche both have cause for optimism.
Coming into the race on the back of the Tour will be a great boost to Martin while Roche always comes good around this time.
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We’ll know more about his form after the Clasica San Sebastien this weekend.
The Vuelta A Espana, Spain
When: August 20th to September 11th
Why: We’re being presumptuous here but it’s hard to see how Nicolas Roche would not be picked having been left out of the Tour de France team.
He always fares well in the Spanish Grand Tour and has worn all jerseys in the past. It’ll be interesting to see, if he does race, how he’ll fare given his preparation.
Next up for him is Clasica San Sebastien on Saturday followed by the Olympic road race a week later.
As well as him, it’s possible Matt Brammeier (Dimension Data) will finally start a Grand Tour while Sam Bennett (Bora-Argon 18) could also get the nod.
European U23 road and TT championships, Monaco
When: September 14th (RR) and 16th (TT)
Why: Assuming both are fit and healthy (and selected) Eddie Dunbar and Michael O’Loughlin can definitely both go well on the road and time-trial courses.
The road race goes up the infamous Col d’Eze a couple of times while the time-trial takes the riders out into the mountains surrounding the principality.
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Both have very good race programmes for the next six weeks and should be ready to challenge the best in seven weeks’ time.
UCI World Championships, Doha
When: October 16th
Why: One of the showpiece events of the year is headed for the Gulf in October and the unlikely setting of Doha will play host to a week-long festival of cycling.
Ireland will be represented in the road race by a couple of riders, one of whom is almost guaranteed to be Sam Bennett. Given the flat course in Doha it will be decided in a bunch sprint, most likely.
And wouldn’t that be some way to finish off the year for Bennett? He has form in that part of the world, you know?
Tour of Britain, United Kingdom
When: September 4th-11th
Why: The final list of 20 teams for the race won’t be named until Monday but 17 have already been confirmed and among them are An Post Chain Reaction, Team WIGGINS, Cannondale, Dimension Data and Team Sky.
That raises the mouth-watering prospect of a huge Irish contingent for the race with Damien Shaw, Connor McConvey, Sean McKenna, Michael O’Loughlin, Ryan Mullen as well as Matt Brammeier, Nicolas Roche and Philip Deignan all possible starters, though the latter three could all very well be at the Vuelta.
Il Lombardia
When: October 1st
Why: The Race of the Falling Leaves is a race Dan Martin has won in the past (2013) and it’s a race he’s never concealed his affection for.
It’s going to be a very long season for him if he continues right up until then, given he started back in February but in his own words ‘racing shortens the winter’.
It’s always a cracker of an event with numerous selections and if he’s there in the final, few would bet against him pulling the trigger and adding another Monument to his palmares.
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