Matt Brammeier underlines form pre World Champs; podiums against world class field in Belgium

Matt Brammeier rode a strong and clever race to get himself into the winning escape and be among the last men standing to contest the victory (Photo: Lydia van De Meerssche)

As the battle to fill the fourth and final slot on the men's elite Irish team for the upcoming World Road Race Championships intensifies, Matt Brammeier has scored another timely podium slot in Belgium that may fix him more firmly in the minds of the selectors.

Dan Martin (Garmin Sharp), Nicolas Roche (Saxo-Tinkoff) and Philip Deignan (Unitedhealthcare) have been named on the team for the race in Florence at the end of the month, with Champion System's Brammeier competing with a number of riders for the final berth.

They included the An Post-Chainreaction duo of Ronan McLaughlin and Sam Bennett, Philip Lavery who is currently on a trial with French pro team Cofidis and Conor McConvey of Synergy Baku.

While the race Brammeier was second in last evening was a flat kermesse, it was run off in wet conditions and involved a qualify field including some of the biggest squads in the world such as IAM Cycling and Omega Pharma Quickstep.

The Irish national champion, Brammeier was in the thick of the action throughout and as the race repeatedly fracture at the front, he made the key moves and was strong enough to make his way into the final four-man group that survived to sprint for the win.

Brammeier was beaten to the line by Omega Pharma Quickstep's Julien Vermote, a quality 24-year-old rider who won the Three Days of West Flanders for Omega Pharma Quickstep last year and more recently collected the bronze medal in the Belgian national time trial championships.

It was the Irishman's second trip to the podium in Belgium in as many weeks after he finished third in the Izegem Koerse kermesse last Thursday's where Irish rider Sam Bennett (An Post-Chainreaction) was second.

Just behind Brammeier in 3rd place last night was Sander Helven of the Topsport Vlaanderen pro team, with Briton Mark McNally filling 4th place for the An Post-Chainreaction team. Ireland's Jack Wilson, a team mate of McNally's, was riding but was not list as a finisher.

After the winning escape crossed the line, seven seconds elapsed before former An Post rider Andrew Fenn (Omega Pharma-Quickstep) crossed the line, having helped his team mate to victory.

Brammeier said in an interview with stickybottle only yesterday that he felt strong and believed he could do a good job at the Worlds, a race where he believes Dan Martin can win the title.

(See more photos just below result)

Tues, Sept 10th: Pro kermesse, Desselgem, Belgium

1 Julien Vermote (Belgium) Omega Pharma-Quickstep  3u29'40"
2 Matthew Brammeier (Ireland)  Champion System Pro Cycli...
3 Sander Helven (Belgium)  Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloi...
4 Mark McNally (Great Britain)  An Post-Chainreaction
5 Andrew Fenn (Great Britain)  Omega Pharma-Quickstep  + 7"
6 Fabio Polazzi (Belgium)  Wallonie-Bruxelles  + 45"
7 Edward Theuns (Belgium)  VL Technics Abutriek CT
8 Niko Eeckhout (Belgium) An Post-Chainreaction  + 1'20"
9 Quentin Bertholet (Belgium)  Wallonie-Bruxelles
10 Jonas Rickaert (Belgium)  Ovyta - Eijssen - Acrog
11 Kristof Goddaert (Belgium)  IAM Cycling  + 2'20"
12 Kenneth Vanbilsen (Belgium)  Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloi...  + 2'27"
13 Nikolas Maes (Belgium)  Omega Pharma-Quickstep  + 2'32"
14 Michael Vingerling (Netherlands)  Team 3M  + 2'40"
15 Bert Van Lerberghe (Belgium)  Ventilair-Steria Cycling
(There were 48 listed finishers)