Sam Bennett and Ryan Mullen will line out in Gent Wevelgem tomorrow for Bora-hansgrohe on a day when plenty of Irish riders will be in action in Belgium.
While Cycling Ireland has not sent an U23 men's team to the event, which is disappointing, an Irish selection is riding the men's junior race. The team is comprised of: Quillan Donnelly (Usher Irish Road Club), Adam Gilsenan (Club Ciclistico Canturino), Oisín Ferrity (Island Wheelers), Liam O’Brien (Fermoy CC), Patrick O’Loughlin (Panduit Carrick Wheelers) and Conal Scully (Carlow RCC).
In the women's junior race, Irish riders Aoife O'Brien and Erin Creighton - who rode the Worlds in Belgium last year - will also be in action. They will ride the race for the Torelli-Cayman Islands-Scimitar team.
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In the main event, Bennett and Mullen are part of a Bora-hansgrohe team that also includes Jordi Meeus, Marco Haller, Jonas Koch, Nils Politt and Danny van Poppel. Depending on how the race pans out, Bennett or Politt will be the favoured riders in the line-up.
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Midweek at E3 Saxo Bank Classic Mullen enjoyed a strong breakaway ride when he was part of the early move that went clear before being caught with out 70km to go. He ultimately finished in 85th place in a group 12:28 down, alongside compatriot Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost).
Last year Bennett rode well in Gent Wevelgem when he made the front group before losing his place with about 35km to go. He said at the time staying in the front group on the final ascent of the Kemmelberg forced him to dig very deep. He then had digestive problems which undid his effort before he was distanced.
Bennett is still working on his condition after an injury-hit 2021 season. Hopefully, with a hard Paris-Nice now in his legs, he may soon show the kind of form he enjoyed in the early part of last year when he won seven races before he injured his knee in May.
