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After missing out on the Tour de France when their Bora-hansgrohe team opted to send a lineup focussed on the general classification to the race, Sam Bennett and Ryan Mullen will return to action this week in the Tour de Pologne in Poland.
Both riders have been on the sidelines since the final stage of the Baloise Belgium Tour on June 19th and will be keen to get back to competition. The Tour de Pologne begins on Saturday and runs until the following Friday.
Bora-Hansgrohe admitted after the Tour de France that the team had fallen short of its goals, with a near-miss in terms of a stage win and a stint in the yellow jersey for Lennard Kämna. The designated team leader Aleksandr Vlasov finished fifth overall in Paris, two places behind his goal of a podium place.
Bennett is yet to comment on missing the race, but he will rue the chance not to return to the event where he won two stages plus the green jersey two years ago.
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At least two stages in Poland look likely to end in bunch sprints, and Bennett will be keen to show strong form whenever possible. His coach Dan Lorang told The Irish Times on Tuesday that he is provisionally scheduled for the three week Vuelta a España, but that the final lineup won’t be made until after the Tour de Pologne. If Bennett rides the Vuelta Mullen is also likely to take part, given his important role in Bennett’s sprint train.
Both riders will follow up the Tour de Pologne with participation in the European championship road race on Sunday August 14th, donning the Irish jersey in a race which could end in a bunch sprint.
Meanwhile Irish riders shone in the opening time trial at the European Youth Olympics on Tuesday. Seth Dunwoody took a superb fifth place in the boys’ event, finishing 18.91 seconds behind the winner Patryk Goszczurny of Poland. Patrick Casey was also to the fore, finishing 10th.
Aine Doherty was 10th in the girls time trial, 29.12 seconds behind the British winner Cat Ferguson (Great Britain).
On Sunday, Christopher McGlinchey notched up his third national title of the season when he won the Irish mountainbike cross country championships in Bellurgan Park, Co. Louth. He added that gold to his triumphs in the national cyclocross championships and the E-Racing championships.
The Spectra Wiggle p/b Vitus rider opened up an early lead over the rest of the field and eventually ended the near one and a half hour race almost five minutes clear of the runner-up, David Montgomery (Spellman-Dublin Port). Darnell Moore (Team Caldwell Cycles) was third.
Caoimhe May (Orwell Wheelers Cycling Club) took the women’s title, beating Hannah McClorey (RFDA) by over a minute. The junior race was a much closer event, with Travis Harkness (VC Glendale) four seconds faster than Curtis Neill (Carn Wheelers).
Multiple national champion Robin Seymour notched up another title, winning the Masters M50 event. Lee Clarke (Shelbourne/Orchard CC) and Paul McCarter (Spellman-Dublin Port) were quickest in the M30 and M40 races.
The national downhill mountainbike championships were also held on Sunday, with Ronan Dunne (unattached Leinster) triumphing in Bree, Co. Wexford. He beat the fastest-seeded rider Dan Wolfe (Gravity BC) by 2.66 seconds. Drew Armstrong (Unattached Ulster) was 5.607 seconds back and secured the bronze medal.
Meghan Flanagan (unattached) triumphed in the women’s category, finishing a narrow 0.253 seconds ahead of last weekend’s Enduro national champion Leah Maunsell (Team Ballyhoura) and just over six seconds clear of Hannah Mullin (Gortin MTB).
The junior men’s award went to Daniel Lappin (Unattached Ulster) ahead of Brendan Conroy (Epic mtb / Expert Cycles), while Reuben Pekarr (Gap MTB) was best under 16 and Darragh Ryan top rider in the under 14 race. Glyn O’Brien (Chain Reaction Cycles) and Brian Steele (Shimna Wheelers Cycling Club) triumphed in the Masters 40 and Masters 50 categories.
European Youth Olympics, Slovakia
Boys time trial:
1 Patryk Goszczurny (Poland) 8.4 kilometres in 10′47.9″, 2 P Sumpik (Czech Republic) at 8.59″, 3 S Grindley (Great Britain) at 12.05″, 4 M Pera (Poland) at 14.35″
Other: 5 S Dunwoody (Ireland) at 18.91″, 10 P Casey (Ireland) at 24.65″, 43 S Coleman (Ireland) at 51.3″
Girls time trial:
1 Cat Ferguson (Great Britain) 8.4 kilometres in 12′11.58, 2 P Jessica Ostiz Taco (Spain) at 3.59″, 3 A Gaborska (Poland) at 7.52″, 4 A Bulegato (Italy) at 8.8″, 5 M Arens (Netherlands) at 13.25″
Other: 10 A Doherty (Ireland) at 29.12″, 31 M Doocey (Ireland) at 57.53″, 60 A Rafferty (Ireland) at 1′24.78″
Irish national cross country championships Bellurgan Park Co. Louth:
Senior men (5 laps): 1 Christopher McGlinchey (Spectra Wiggle p/b Vitus) 1 hour 28′28″, 2 D Montgomery (Spellman-Dublin Port) 1 hour 33′16″, 3 D Moore (Team Caldwell Cycles) 1 hour 35′29″
Junior men: (4 laps): 1 Travis Harkness (VC Glendale) 1 hour 11′50″, 2 C Neill (Carn Wheelers) 1 hour 11′54″, 3 J White (IMBRC) 1 hour 5′14″
Women (3 laps): 1 Caoimhe May (Orwell Wheelers Cycling Club) 1 hour 8′33″, 2 H McClorey (RFDA) 1 hour 9′46″, 3 N McKiverigan (Scott Bright Motor Group) 1 hour 10′2″
Masters M30 (4 laps): 1 Lee Clarke (Shelbourne/Orchard CC) 1 hour 18′49″, 2 D McCarter (Spellman-Dublin Port) 1 hour 20′4″, 3 G Davis (Biking.ie) 1 hour 22′32″
Masters M40 (4 laps): 1 Paul McCarter (Spellman-Dublin Port) 1 hour 18′7″, 2 PJ Hynes (Cuchulainn CC) 1 hour 18′59″, 3 C Campbell (Cuchulainn CC) 1 hour 20′22″
Masters M50 (3 laps): 1 Robin Seymour (Team WORC) 56′48″, 2 J Doris (EPIC MTB/Expert Cycles) 1 hour’51″, 3 V Fitzsimon (Team WORC) 1 hour 1′43″
Under 16 boys (3 laps): 1 Conor Murphy (Rostrevor Mountain Bike Club) 59′49″, 2 D Scott (Un-Attached Ulster) 58′49″, 3 C Henry (Inspired Cycling) 1 hour 3′4″
Under 16 girls (3 laps): 1 Greta Lawless (Team WORC) 44′52″, 2 F Robinson (Bray Wheelers) 52′13″, 3 A Murray (Moynalty Cycling Club) at 1 lap
Under 14 boys (3 laps): 1 Curtis McKee (Scott Bright Motor Group) 27′14″, 2 R Daly (Scott Bright Motor Group) 28′56″, 3 R McCrystal (Bellurgan Wheelers) 29′30″
Under 14 girls (2 laps): 1 Cara Suckling (VC Glendale) 23′50″, 2 E Heverin (Kinning Cycles Cycling Club) 25′28″, 3 A Gannon (Breffni Wheelers) 26′21″
Under 12 boys (3 laps): 1 James Cunningham (Orwell Wheelers Cycling Club) 14′6″, 2 D Murphy (Rostrevor Mountain Bike Club) 14′31″, 3 E Campbell (Square Wheels) 14′38″
Under 12 girls (3 laps): 1 Aoife Craig (VC Glendale) 15′49″, 2 E McCrystal (Bellurgan Wheelers) 19′36″, 3 S Baxter (Lisburn BMX Club) 21′1 sec
Irish national downhill MTB championships Bree Co. Wexford: Men: 1 Ronan Dunne (Unattached Leinster) 1′42.9″, 2 D Wolfe (Gravity BC) at 2.66″, 3 D Armstrong (Unattached Ulster) at 5.607″
Male open: 1 Ronan Gahan 1′54.6″, 2 G Kelly at 0.490″, 3 S Marshall at 1.387″
Women open: 1 Meghan Flanagan (unattached) 2′15.1″, 2 L Maunsell (Team Ballyhoura) at 0.253″, 3 H Mullin (Gortin MTB) at 6.018″
Under 16: 1 Reuben Pekarr (Gap MTB) 1′57.5″, 2 R Steele (Shimna Wheelers Cycling Club) at 0.218″, 3 C Morris (Gortin MTB) at 1.025″
Under 14: 1 Darragh Ryan (Biking.ie) 1′57.6″, 2 R Keeffe (Bree Mountain Biking) at 4.455″, 3 K Murray (Gap MTB) at 10.414″
Junior men: 1 Daniel Lappin (Unattached Ulster) 1′49.8″, 2 B Conroy (Epic mtb / Expert Cycles) at 2.043″, 3 M Schone (Bree Mountain Biking) at 4.225″
Masters 30 - 39: 1 James Mac Ferran (Cycleology Racing Team) 1′52.3″, 2 P Mullan (Unattached Ulster) at 1.063″, 3 M Rea (Unattached Ulster) at 3.061″
Masters 40: 1 Glyn O’Brien (Chain Reaction Cycles) 1′52.4″, 2 M Cowan (Chain Reaction Cycles) at 3.160″, 3 D McMullan (Chain Reaction Cycles) at 4.730″
Masters 50: 1 Brian Steele (Shimna Wheelers Cycling Club) 1′55.1″, 2 S Barkley (IMBRC) at 10.025″, 3 J Bergin (Team Ballyhoura) at 35.532″
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