Philip Lavery & Sam Bennett at the 2011 U23 Worlds in Copenhagen (Photo: Gary McIlroy)
Team Ireland will have no fewer than six riders in action at the World Road Race Championships in Valkenburg tomorrow, Saturday.
The U23 men are first into action, getting their race underway at 8am Irish time. This will be followed by the elite Irish women in the afternoon, when Siobhan Horgan and Olivia Dillon will take on a world class field.
The U23 male team is made up of four very strong riders in the shape of Sean Downey, Philip Lavery, Sam Bennett and Jack Wilson.
While Downey, Lavery and Bennett are in their final year at U23 level, Belgium-based Wilson is the baby of the group and has done very well in gaining selection for the team in what is his first year at this level.
Advertisement
Of the older trio Bennett has shown the best form of late, though Downey and Lavery are quality riders for whom tomorrow’s lumpy course will hold no fear.
The race will be run over 161km – ten laps of a circuit that includes the climbs of the Bemelberg and Cauberg. While the distance is not as long as many of the races the Irish foursome have ridden this year and the climbs not massive, those ascents will be testing on the legs as the race progresses and the pace increases.
Bennett is perhaps regarded as a pure sprinter but that tag sells him short, as his 5th place on the hilly stage 5 of last week’s Tour of Britain into Stoke-On-Trent proved. He abandoned that race the following day as a result of some knee pain.
However, that now seems to have cleared and once he is healthy tomorrow he is a rider well capable of still being there in even a much depleted group sprint at the finish tomorrow when his kick may yield him a big result.
Obviously his fortunes tomorrow very much depend on things going well for him on the day and on that knee issue being a short term problem that has righted itself quickly.
Related News
Lavery is the current U23 National Champion and did very well at the Worlds last year, going up the road on the flat course and flying the flag for himself and the Irish jersey. He has since switched from the An Post-Sean Kelly team to Node4-Giordana and has enjoyed a string of wins.
He is a strong, punchy and ever-aggressive rider and it looks likely that he, Bennett and Downey will have a free hand tomorrow to ride their own race rather than working for any one protected team leader.
Like last year, Lavery is likely to try to have a go tomorrow even though the harder course will make that more difficult than last year; though that won’t stop him.
Downey rides best on a rolly course and tends to do his best work when the terrain is lumpy and when others are under pressure. The course tomorrow is not exactly the Alps, but the climb will feel very tough on the last few laps so do not be surprised if you see Downey getting into a move as the strongmen emerge.
The women’s race will be run over 129km starting at 1.30pm Irish time. It takes in eight laps of the same circuit that includes the Bemelberg and Cauberg.
Horgan and Dillon are two class riders who have multiple national titles to their name.
The current national TT champion, Dillon is based in the US where she rides for the top ‘NOW and Novartis for MS’. She has been in very good form for them this year and will fancy her chances of holding her own tomorrow.
Horgan has said she plans to retire after this season and if this Worlds is to be her international swansong, she will be determined to end what has been a great career on a high note. She has been one of the best female riders Ireland has ever produced and tomorrow’s tough course will suit her strengths.
Horgan will want to put in a good ride in possibly her international swansong
Topics
