The Irish riders were unlucky at the World Cyclocross Championships on the opening day of action in the United States today when our men suffered mechanicals. The only female rider in the Irish team, Maria Larkin, had a tough day in the saddle.
Sean Nolan (EvoPro Racing) and Dean Harvey (Spellman Dublin Port) were first up in Fayetteville, Arkansas, for Ireland today in the U23 men's race. Both had to struggle through bad luck in what was the biggest race of their careers to date.
Harvey suffered a puncture and then the tyre got wrapped around his wheel, causing him a major problem. He had to run with the bike for about half a lap. He finally got to the pits to get a change of bikes but the interruption saw him fall far behind; the pace of the race, in dry conditions, did not help in that regard.
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He battled on as best he could but ended the race, seven laps of a 3.1km course, in 41st place and three laps down, unfortunately.
Nolan fared a little better but still suffered a mechanical shortly after the start when his chain came off on a descent. That forced him to stop and fix the problem, by which time a gap had opened up between him at the others. He fought on to finish in 40th place, some 7:24 down on the winner, but on the same lap.
The race was won by Joran Wyseure, who led home a clean sweep of the medals for Belgium; winning from Emiel Verstrynge and Thibau Nys. There was 13 seconds between gold and silver and another 20 back to bronze medal man Nys, the reigning U23 European road race champion.
In the elite women's race, Larkin was Ireland's sole representative and she finished in 30th place at three laps, in what was her second appearance at the Worlds.
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It was something of a home World Championships for national elite champion Larkin as the Co Mayo woman lives in Chicago. With the field slimmed right down, due to Covid-19 and the travel involved for the European-based riders, it was a fiercely competitive race.
Larkin managed to stay out of trouble and put in the very best shift she could during what was an intense battle dictated by the strongest riders in the world, especially the all-conquering Dutch.
At the head of that race the battle for gold and silver came down to Dutch rider Marianne Vos and the defending champion Lucinda Brand. While Brand did her best to shake off Vos, she failed to do so and was punished in the final sprint.
Vos took her eighth cyclocross world title; her last coming in 2014 and her first way back in 2006. The Dutch had five riders in the top six today but it was Italian Silvia Persico who spoiled their party as she claimed bronze 51 seconds down on Vos.
More to come when we get it.
Women's Race
1 Vos Marianne Netherlands 55:00
2 Brand Lucinda Netherlands at 1sec
3 Persico Silvia Italy 51secs
4 Alvarado Ceylin del Carmen Netherlands1:04
5 Kastelijn Yara Netherlands 1:05
6 Bakker Manon Netherlands
7 Rochette Maghalie Canada 1:39
8 Clauzel Hélène France 1:59
9 Van der Heijden Inge Netherlands
10 Cant Sanne Belgium 2:12
30 Larkin Maria Ireland -3 laps
U23 Men's Race
1 WYSEURE Joran Belgium 80 0:49:21
2 VERSTRYNGE Emiel Belgium 65 0:13
3 NYS Thibau Belgium 55 0:33
4 HENDRIKX Mees Netherlands 50 ,,
5 MASON Cameron Great Britain 45 ,,
6 KAMP Ryan Netherlands 40 0:38
7 VANDEPUTTE Niels Belgium 35 0:40
8 RONHAAR Pim Netherlands 30 1:15
9 KUYPERS Gerben Belgium 25 1:32
10 MICHELS Jente Belgium 20 1:37
40 NOLAN Seán Ireland 7:24
41 HARVEY Dean Ireland -3 laps
