Having ridden with distinction this year in his first year at U23 level, Ben Healy was given the nod for the Irish team in the road race at the World Championships.
The teenager was the only Irish rider in the race but that didn't soften his approach as he got himself up the road in a very strong breakaway for a long time.
While he lost is place up front on a testing climb he was caught by the much reduced peloton and stayed with it for a long time.
Eventually the field was split in pieces in all-out racing run off over undulating roads and in wet conditions into Harrogate, Yorkshire.
Healy fell a further back and finished in 50th place at 10:38; a very solid finish and more importantly Healy showed the courage and had the legs to have a go.
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Having secured a place at Team Wiggins this year, Healy rode the Tour de l'Avenir on a UCI composite team and won a stage; the youngest rider to take a victory in the history of the race.
He said today's race was very hard but he was pleased with his ride overall.
“I got caught in the crosswinds just at the top of the main climb,” Healy explain of being recaptured with 57km to go.
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“I was actually still feeling pretty good but still… you’re
doing 500 watts at the back and you’re not going anywhere. But it’s my first
worlds as an U23 so I can’t complain.”
Healy had taken flight in a 13-man group with just under 140km remaining in the 171.6km from Doncaster to Harrogate.
The breakaway pressed on but was never allowed much leeway as the USA, Germany and a number of other nations patrolled the front of the ever depleting peloton and gave chase.
But the time Healy was caught on Greenhow Hill the breakaway has split up; the Irish rider having spent about half the race up the road.
In the end the fight for victory came down to a group from seven; the strongest men pushing clear as the field shattered even before the final hour of racing.
Nils Eekhoff (Netherlands) crossed the line first and celebrated his win before he was disqualified for taking assistance from a team car to get back on after he crashed with over 120km remaining.
The title then passed to Italian Samuele Battistella
(Italy), who was delighted to take the world crown irrespective of the
circumstances.
Stefan Bissegger (Switzerland) was then bumped up from silver to bronze. And the home hero, Tom Pidcock (Great Britain), was promoted from 4th to the bronze medal.
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