Three days after taking his fifth national time trial title, Ryan Mullen completed a superb national championships double when he won the elite road race in Co Wicklow on Sunday. The Trek-Segafredo WorldTour rider attacked inside the final hour of the 160 kilometre event, going clear with Daire Feeley (All human/VeloRevolution) and fending off the efforts of those behind to get back on terms.
Mullen and Feeley then went head to head in the final tailwind sprint, with the much more experienced professional rider winning against the nevertheless impressive domestic-based rider.
“I was quietly confident,” Mullen told the Irish Times. “I mean, if I was ever going to win a race, I like to try and win it solo. But I do have a really good sprint, it’s just something that I have. I am an 80 kilo guy pumping out 1600-1700 watts. I’ve never actually really sprinted so hard after a race, but the motivation of getting the [national champion’s] jersey and bringing it across next year to Bora was a huge incentive. I put out some big numbers and I was pretty happy with the outcome.
“I didn’t know how fast Daire was. I know he’s not slow and that he’s a good rider. When we kicked he kind of stayed at my hip for three or four seconds, and then I pulled away a little bit. But it could also come down to just the endurance of racing at WorldTour level for a number of years. We do longer races, so maybe I just had a bit more in the tank at the end.”
It is the second time for Mullen to complete the double of national championships successes. He did it first four years ago when the national championships were in Wexford, and has now done so again. He will move to Bora-hansgrohe next season and will join up with Sam Bennett there as part of the sprinter’s leadout train.
Coming as it does after a muted season, he said winning the Irish road race title is a big boost to his morale. “I really needed that for my own self-confidence going forward into next year with Sam and Bora,” he said. “It’s going to look great on TV leading out Sam in the Irish champion’s jersey.”
The race took place over 160 kilometres, made up of one short lap of 10.8 kilometres and then five circuits of a longer 25 kilometre lap. The principal difficulties were the 1.6 kilometre Kilmacurragh climb and the shorter, steeper 1.1 kilometre ascent at Conory. Another WorldTour rider, Eddie Dunbar (Ineos Grenadiers), was very active early on and helped create a big breakaway group.
This 18-man group went clear on the first lap and included most of the key names. Dunbar and Mullen were there, as was defending champion Ben Healy (Trinity Racing), Sam Bennett (Deceuninck-QuickStep), Nicolas Roche (Team DSM) and Rory Townsend (Canyon dhb SunGod). The remainder were a mixture of Continental-level riders, overseas-based aspiring professionals and strong domestic riders, with Conn McDunphy (EvoPro Racing), Matthew Teggart (Velo Club Villefranche Beaujolais), Daire Feeley (All human/VeloRevolution) and Christopher McGlinchey (Spectra Wiggle p/b Vitus) some of the strongest.
Dunbar continued to apply pressure. Bennett is rebuilding race fitness after months of injury and lost his place in the break, as did others. The pressure whittled the lead group down to seven riders and while there was a partial regrouping, Dunbar and Roche pushed ahead on the Kilmacurragh climb with 94 kilometres remaining.
They built a lead approaching a minute and worked well together, but their chances were lost when Dunbar slid out on a left-hand bend. He injured his shoulder and while he was able to continue for quite some time, he eventually withdrew over concerns about a possible fracture.
Roche was facing an impossible task to hold off the chasers alone and while he was joined by McGlinchey and was still out front starting the penultimate lap, the duo were caught by five others. Mullen and Feeley then attacked prior to the start of the final lap and went on to sprint it out for the win, with McDunphy (EvoPro Racing) taking bronze 38 seconds later. Teggart and McGlinchey placed fourth and fifth, just under two minutes back, while a fatigued Roche ended up sixth after being one of the race’s main animators.
John Buller outsprinted Liam Curley (Spellman-Dublin Port) for eighth and, in doing so, won the under 23 title. Spellman-Dublin Port were best team.
Feeley recently took overall victory in Cycling Ireland’s National Road Series. It’s a good result, but it doesn’t compare with the level Mullen, Roche, Dunbar and Bennett are racing at. Still, he said he was confident before the race. “I was travelling up in the car. And I said to my dad, ‘I want to win it.’ I said to him I wouldn’t be happy if I didn’t win it. But to be beaten by a calibre of rider like Ryan…I certainly can’t complain. To be runner-up to one of the best riders in the world is something to write home about. So yeah, I’m very happy with it.
“I was expecting it after I went for an easy spin there yesterday for two hours. And I said to myself, ‘wow, the legs are there. So if I play my cards, right, we can get a result, so we can.’”
Earlier, Aoife O’Brien (Torelli-Assure-Cayman Islands-Scimitar) was victorious in the junior women’s road race. She attacked early on and opened a lead over the other riders in the race but after battling the win and difficult course, she was eventually reeled in. She then sprinted for the win against Emma Smith (Navan Road Club) and triumphed, with Annie Roche (Scott Quanta Racing) finishing third.
Cycling Ireland national road race championships, The Beehive, Co. Wicklow
Elite and under 23 men's road race: 1 Ryan Mullen (Trek-Segafredo) 160.8 kilometres in 3 hours 57 mins 18 secs, 2 D Feeley (All human/VeloRevolution Racing Team) same time, 3 C Mc Dunphy (EvoPro Racing) at 38, 4 M Teggart (Velo Club Villefranche Beaujolais) at 1 min 50, 5 C Mc Glinchey (Spectra Wiggle p/b Vitus) at 1 min 53, 6 N Roche (Team DSM) at 2 mins 33, 7 B Healy (Trinity Racing) at 8 mins 8, 8 J Buller (Amicale Cycliste Bisontine) at 8 mins 29, 9 L Curley (Spellman-Dublin Port) same time, 10 R Townsend (Canyon DHB Sungod) at 9 mins 51
Under 23: 1 John Buller (Amicale Cycliste Bisontine) 4 hours 5 mins 47, 2 L Curley (Spellman-Dublin Port) same time, 3 G Peden (Team PB Performance) at 9 mins 30
Team: Spellman-Dublin Port
Junior women's road race: 1 Aoife O'Brien (Torelli-Assure-Cayman Islands-Scimitar) 53.8 kilometres in 1 hour 36 mins 45, 2 E Smith (Navan Road Club) same time, 3 A Roche (Scott Quanta Racing) at 20
