Ireland's Lydia Boylan didn't mince her words after her debut at the World Championships in Bergen today. She was the sole Irish cyclist in the elite women's race (Photo: Philip Cassidy)
Tough Bergen Worlds for Irish cyclist Lydia Boylan
She may be at the top of the sport in Ireland for years now, but Lydia Boylan was riding her debut World Road Championships in Bergen today.
The national road race champion for the third year running, Boylan was the sole Irish rider on the start line of the elite women’s race today.
It was an intense battle for position all the way and one that Boylan unfortunately came off second best in.
But still aged 30 years and with many seasons remaining at her peak, the Team WNT pro rider will surely be back to the road Worlds before her career is out.
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She has already taken her best result yet this year; a sign that she is still progressing having taken up the sport late.
That result came with victory on the final stage of the Setmana Ciclista Valenciana (2.2) stage race back in March.
And with her UK-based team having moved into the pro ranks this year, not to mention her collecting her third national road title, it has been a strong season for her.
But today in Bergen she stepped in against the best in the world, and she didn’t need to be told she’d been up against the very best.
“That was a bit of a shock to the system,” said Boylan, not one to mince her words.
“It’s the World Championships. I was expecting it to be hard. It’s the biggest, hardest field of the year.”
Boylan battles the climb beside one of the Australians (Photo: Gabe McArdle)
On the second of eight 19.km laps, with included the Salmon Hill climb, cobbles and plenty of technical sections; Boylan was caught out.
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She was positioned too far back and when some gaps opened ahead of her she found herself taken out the back of the peloton.
That forced her into chase and while she successfully regained the field she had burnt some of her matches.
“As soon as we got back in the bunch I knew I needed to be better positioned,” she said.
“And I managed to do that the second and third time up the climb.
“It was actually on the more technical section on the cobbles that things started to light up a bit. And I got caught out too far back.”
Unfortunately in major international events run on circuits; once the gaps open groups are pulled out of the race.
They are stopped in the road and taken off the course by the race officials. And that faith was to befall Boylan and the others in the group she was in.
Consequently, Irish cyclist Lydia Boylan didn’t get to finish the race.
“It’s the same old story – you need to be well positioned in these bunches or else gaps just open up.
“Unfortunately, that was me in a group just off the back, and not able to get back on.”
The field would split to pieces in what was an excellent contest. For most of the race the British and Dutch riders looked strongest.
The US team, with the in-form Corn Rivera in its line-up, fell into the role of chasing down everything that moved.
But when the big picture started on the final two passages of Salmon Hill they faded. The Dutch would in the end prove strongest.
Dutch light up Worlds
They placed three in the group that formed off the front after the final climb; Chantal Blaak, Annemiek Van Vleuten and Anna Van Der Breggen.
And it was the least fancied of the trio, Blaak who would attack and solo to victory. The break she pounced from was then caught by what remained of the peloton.
And some 28 seconds after Blaak came up the home straight punch the air in victory, and disbelief, Katrin Garfoot won the sprint for silver.
The Australian had been in the breakaway with Blaak but she still had enough to win the sprint. Last year's champion Amalie Dideriksen (Denmark) was 3rd.
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