Irish international rider Marc Heaney has gotten his season underway with a solid result in a one-day event in Turkey.
Riding again this year for Belgian-based Asfra Racing, Heaney was 9th in the 160km Grand Prix Gazipasa (1.2).
The race was won in
a bunch sprint by Russian Mamyr Stash, from Yauheni Karaliok (Minsk Cycling Club) and Alan
Banaszek (Mazowsze Serce Polski).
It came down to a sprint after the early breakaway had been caught deep inside the final 10km having gone clear from the gun.
While Heaney, a former junior and current U23 international, got a good lead out from his team he got boxed in with about 500 metres to go.
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That cost him position at the worst possible time, though
he kept his head and was good enough to make it into the top 10.
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He had also ridden the one-day Grand Prix Alanya (1.2)
but crashed on a descent after puncturing and was a non-finisher.
Those two races, on Thursday and Friday, opened the 2020 campaign for him, most of which he will spend in Belgium.
Having just turned 21 years old three weeks ago, Heaney
has represented Ireland in the past in both the junior and U23 ranks and should
race in the green of Ireland again in U23 international races this year.
His best result to date came in the Tour of Albania (2.2)
two years ago when he took a stage victory.
Heaney’s most recent outing on national team duties was
at the European Road Championships in Holland last summer when he rode the U23
race.
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