The Irish U23 team in action on Saturday afternoon in Holland on the opening stage of the Rabobank Venhuisen Two Day
An Irish U23 selection endured a very difficult few days at the weekend when they rode a stage race in northern Holland – the Rabobank Venhuisen Two Day - tackling three stages in two days including a team time trial.
Unused to the latter discipline and with time trial equipment not available to all five riders in the team, the Irish struggled badly in the opening team test stage on Saturday, finishing 23rd of the 24 teams in the race and relinquishing exactly one minute to the winners.
The frequency with which the Dutch ride such tests each season saw their teams do much better than the Irish riders, some of whom were riding their first team time trial.
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The Irish team consisted of home-based riders Cormac Clarke (Newry Wheelers), Daniel Stewart (East Antrim Audi), Javan Nulty (DID Dunboyne) and Conor McIlwaine (Errigal CC). Eoin McCarthy, who is based in Belgium with Terra Footwear completed the Irish line-up, with those five riders part of a large group of U23 riders who are now in Belgium for an extended racing and training trip.
Saturday evening saw a circuit race of 11 laps totalling 119km, with the riders sprinting from the start line and never letting up; the filed spending all of the stage lined out save for when echelons briefly formed on the windier section of the circuit. The stage was rattled off in an average speed of 44.34kph.
With the stage a battle for position, a breakaway of 13 riders managed to clip off the front and having a gap on the bunch of 22 seconds at that finish. In that peloton were Clarke, McCarthy and McIlwaine. However, Nulty lost contact in the second half of the stage and relinquished 5:32.
Stewart had a day he will hope to forget as quickly as possible. He lost contact with the bunch when he punctured. And though he continued to chase for a period, riders than had fallen back were taken out of the race by the commissaire – as is often the case in European races on circuits. Because of that, he was out of the race and unable to start Sunday’s final stage.
His only consolation was the knowledge that large numbers of riders were pulled out by the commissaire when the field split badly under the sustained speed.
Sunday’s stage was again a circuit race, with 19 laps for a total stage distance of 161km. It was here that the Irish put in their best performance of the weekend.
Having been dished out a hard and fast lesson in the Dutch line out and echelon racing the previous day, the Irish riders managed to stay in the bunch and were not in the droves of riders to get dropped only to be taken out of the race by the commissaire before the finish.
The pattern was again one of intense speed from the start, with line outs and echelons the order of the day. A group of around 20 riders escaped from the bunch and at one stage had a gap of two minutes.
However, on the last lap that had closed down to 30 seconds. At that point four riders sprung from the bunch and got across the large breakaway, and in that quarter was Ireland’s McCarthy.
The Fermoy man fought very well for position in the escape on that final lap and as the breakaway rounded the last corner some 250 metres from the line he was nicely placed in 5th position and ready to pounce in the gallop to the line.
However, as he was cornering and about to hit the afterburners in the dash to the line, his tubular rolled and he crash, sustained road rash to go with the insult of a very strong riding coming to nothing. Just behind the breakaway, Clarke, Nulty and McIlwaine all finished in the much depleted bunch.
Team Ireland manager, Neill Delahaye described the race as a good learning experience for the riders.
“They rode well and with some better luck we could have had a podium result on the last day,” he said.
“The racing here is completely different to home and it’s necessary they develop the appropriate fitness, skills and awareness that comes with this style of racing.”
“They have all ridden well, holding their own and know now what to expect when racing in Holland next time. The have gained valuable experience this weekend as they look to develop themselves as stronger bike riders.”
Rabobank Venhuisen Two Day
July 13th – Stage 1: 10.1km Team Time Trial
1 NWVG Groningen 12:13.03 (49.602kph)
2 Amstel&UitHoorn&DeBataaf @3.32
3 West-Frisia 9 @5.99
4 Willibrord Wil Vooruit @14.29
5 Westland Wil Vooruit @16.74
6 Rabo-Plieger-J.v.Arckel @18.44
7 WV Otto Ebbens @20.95
8 WV de Kannibaal @22.31
9 WV Noord-Holland @23.41
10 Stormvogels Veendam 6 @24.97
11 OWC Oldenzaal @25.08
12 Zwaluwen & Raalte &CC' @26.65
13 MeteAssen-Rod&Peddelaars @35.22
14 ZWC-DTS&Alcmaria Victrix @36.15
15 Wilton Care4Bikes UWTC @36.16
16 Ulysses - Team Amsterdam @36.25
17 HRTC & BRC Kennemerland @36.57
18 Kanjers voor Kanjers CT @37.66
19 WV de IJsselstreek @41.06
20 WV Eemland @44.77
21 WV de Hanzerenners @53.75
22 Friesche Leeuw&Olympia @53.99
23 Team Ireland @1:00
24 ARTV de Adelaar @1:02
July 13th, stage 2 (119km)
1 Vendrig, Bart Rabo-Plieger-J.v.Arckel 2:41:00
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2 Brusselman, Twan Willibrord Wil Vooruit
3 Woestenberg, Peter Willibrord Wil Vooruit
4 Hofman, Arjan WV de IJsselstreek
5 Kweldam, Nick Kanjers voor Kanjers CT
6 Schram, Simon WV de Hanzerenners
7 Dorren, Ruben West-Frisia
8 Scheerens, Pieter Ulysses - Team Amsterdam
9 Koch, Leon WV Noord-Holland
10 de Graauw, Guus Willibrord Wil Vooruit
32 Cormac, Clarke Team Ireland @22 seconds
37 McCarthy, Eoin Team Ireland
43 McIllwaine, Conor Team Ireland
87 Nulty, Javin Team Ireland @5:32
Eliminated: Daniel Stewart Team Ireland
Stage 3, July 14th (163km)
1 Woestenberg, Peter Willibrord Wil Vooruit 3:44:31
2 van der Leeuwen, Cor NWVG Groningen z.t.
3 Brusselman, Twan Willibrord Wil Vooruit z.t.
4 Verweij, Bram NWVG Groningen z.t.
5 Heij, Paul Wilton Care4Bikes UWTC z.t.
6 Breemes, Stefan Wilton Care4Bikes UWTC z.t.
7 Dorren, Ruben West-Frisia z.t.
8 Scheerens, Pieter Ulysses - Team Amsterdam z.t.
9 Vendrig, Bart Rabo-Plieger-J.v.Arckel z.t.
10 de Bruin, Marc WV Otto Ebbens z.t.
32 Cormac, Clarke Team Ireland @40 seconds
55 Nulty, Javin Team Ireland same
69 McIllwaine, Conor Team Ireland same
83 McCarthy, Eoin Team Ireland same (same time as winner, 3km crash rule)
Final General Classification
1 Dorren, Ruben West-Frisia 6:37:50
2 Woestenberg, Peter Willibrord Wil Vooruit @0:01
3 Brusselman, Twan Willibrord Wil Vooruit @0:03
4 Vendrig, Bart Rabo-Plieger-J.v.Arckel @0:06
5 Oostlander, Sander Rabo-Plieger-J.v.Arckel @0:12
6 Merx, Peter NWVG Groningen @0:14
7 Verweij, Bram NWVG Groningen @0:15
8 Koch, Leon WV Noord-Holland @0:17
9 van der Vall, Lars Amstel&UitHoorn&DeBataaf @0:19
10 Sweering, Harry West-Frisia
36 McCarthy, Eoin Team Ireland @1:16
57 Cormac, Clarke Team Ireland @1:56
58 McIllwaine, Conor Team Ireland same
71 Nulty, Javin Team Ireland @7:06
(There were 83 fiishers)
