The last time a world title and silver and bronze medals were on offer, Ryan Mullen comprehensively beat the man who has now taken the world pursuit crown.
One of the most exciting prospects in Irish cycling in the modern era, Ryan Mullen went into the World Track Championships in Paris this weekend equal with Martyn Irvine as Ireland’s best hope of a medal.
In the end, however, the 20-year-old departed the Velodrome Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines empty handed after his individual pursuit event.
But few would bet against him coming back and ripping up this stage in the not too distant future.
He came into this weekend on the back of 4th in the same event at the Worlds in Cali, Colombia, exactly one year ago.
And since then he has taken the national senior and U23 combined road title, won the U23 time trial crown and been beaten by less than half a second to the gold in the U23 time trial at the World Road Championships.
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If expectations seem high every time Mullen pulls on the green skinsuit of Ireland, it is because his ability has long earmarked him as a potential gold boy of world track cycling, never mind the Irish camp.
Wins like this one at the National Road Championships in Westmeath last June mean expectations are high any time Mullen lines out for Ireland (Photo: Toby Watson)
Aside from the achievements of the past 12 months, Mullen has also taken silver in the junior time trial at the European Road Championships and picked up two bronzes at U23 level at the European Track Championships.
A stable mate of Martyn Irvine – the doyen of Irish track cycling with a world title in his palmares, two silvers from the last two Worlds, and a UCI World Cup collection to date of gold, two silvers and still counting – the smart money is on Mullen to one day match what Irvine has done.
Mullen hoped he would take his first medal at elite level this weekend but in the end it was not to be.
His time in the qualifying round of the 4km individual pursuit was 4.22.669; a shade slower than the 4:22.419 of Cali last year.
His time yesterday in Paris was good enough for 7th; a great result considering he does not turn 21 years until the middle of the summer.
But his talent means anything less than a medal is a disappointment and his post race comments reflected that; saying simply he had hoped for more.
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Mullen limbering up in Paris in recent days before his assault on the individual pursuit yesterday (Photo: Guy Swarbrick)
“It was all going to plan for the first 2km, but I couldn’t quite stay on the power,” he said.
The An Post-Chainreaction man is impeccable at judging his effort and having passed through the 1km check in 5th place and having held that through 2km; getting into the top four and the medal ride offs was possible.
However, by 3km he was 7th and that’s where he would finish at the end of the 4km effort.
“I wasn’t all there today,” was his matter of fact appraisal of his ride.
“The team around me has been incredible, I’m more gutted I couldn’t do right for them.
“The field this year is really good, I’m relatively happy with where I finished on the board, but not it’s not what I wanted.”
The podium from the U23 time trial at the World Road Championships last September; Ireland's Mullen with silver, Campbell Flakemore of Australia with gold and Stegan Kueng in the bronze medal position; the same man who has now taken the world pursuit title. Both Flakemore and Kueng have signed for BMC since this shot was taken (Photo: Sirotti)
Quickest in qualifying was the Australian world record holder Jack Bobridge on a time of 4:16.219; well clear of the new Swiss wonder kid Stefan Kueng, who clocked 4:17.183.
However, in the final it was Kueng who got the upper hand; slowest through all the time checks until the last when he clocked 4:18.915 for the 4km event, just faster than Bobridge’s 4:19.184.
In the bronze medal ride off Julien Morice of France took the medal from Serov of Russia.
The new champion, Kueng last year won the gold medal at the European U23 Road Championships in both the road race and the time trial.
He was third in the World Road Championships in the U23 TT last September, one place - and 9 seconds - behind Ireland’s Mullen.
It is a fact that underlined why the Irishman was perhaps so disappointed with his ride in Paris this weekend.
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