Darren Rafferty endured a very challenging day out at the World Cyclocross Championships in Switzerland where he rode the junior men's race.
The Irish champion fell several times on what as a very wet and muddy course in Switzerland.
In the end his Team Ireland colours were barely visible under the layers of mud the Island Wheelers teenager was caked in.
However, he dug deep and showed real grit to persevere and finish the race on what was a World Championships debut for the first-year junior rider.
After the Dutch had dominated the opening day of the Worlds in the elite women’s, junior women’s and U23 men’s races, it was the turn of Belgium to shine in the junior men’s race today.
Thibau Nys, son of cyclocross legend Sven Nys, went into
the race as a hot favourite and carried that pressure with real confidence.
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He ran out the winner from his team mate Lennert Belmans;
winning the 39-minute race by 31 seconds.
Their team mate and compatriot Emiel Verstrynge took the bronze medal some 38 seconds down
on Nys.
Dario Lillo of
Switzerland gave the home crowd something to cheer about when he took 4th. He
was 54 seconds down on the new world champion.
And rounding out
the top five was Dutch rider Tibor Del Grosso; some 1:08 down on winner Nys.
Darren Rafferty,
who was Ireland’s sole rider in the race, finished in 42nd place of the 66
starters and was 5:24 down.
That was a very
solid ride by Rafferty who will be an exciting prospect to watch on the road
and off it in coming years.
More to follow.
All photos by Toby Watson
World Champs: Junior Men's Race
1 Thibau Nys (Belgium) 0:38:50
2 Lennert Belmans (Belgium) 0:00:31
3 Emiel Verstrynge (Belgium) 0:00:38
4 Dario Lillo (Switzerland) 0:00:54
5 Tibor Del Grosso (Netherlands) 0:01:08
6 Marco Brenner (Germany) 0:01:13
7 Jente Michels (Belgium) 0:01:29
8 Florian Richard Andrade (France) 0:01:34
9 Rory Mcguire (Great Britain) 0:01:37
10 Andrew Strohmeyer (United States Of America) 0:01:39
11 Oliver Stockwell (Great Britain) 0:01:50
12 Ugo Ananie (France) 0:01:51
13 Hugo Kars (Netherlands)
14 Jan Zatloukal (Czech Republic) 0:02:01
15 Matěj Stránský (Czech Republic) 0:02:17
16 Joe Kiely (Great Britain) 0:02:24
17 Yorben Lauryssen (Belgium) 0:02:28
18 Ward Huybs (Belgium) 0:02:32
19 Lorenzo Masciarelli (Italy) 0:02:57
20 Corran Carrick-anderson (Great Britain) 0:03:01
42 Darren Rafferty (Ireland) 0:05:24
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