Sunday, June 24, 2012

10 contenders for the elite national cycling championships

Brian Canty

Matthew Brammeier is looking to follow in the footsteps of Davy O’Loughlin and David McCann when he goes in search of his third Irish National senior road race title at the weekend in Clonmel.

Brammeier would be the first man ever to make it three wins-in-a-row and it’s hardly surprising that he will start as one of the pre-race favourites for the 167 kilometre hike.

Here, we look at who else is likely to challenge the reigning champion for top honours.

David McCann

It’s quite astonishing when you consider the likeable Belfast man is still able to cut it at the highest level despite being eligible for the Veteran’s race next year.

That ‘last chance saloon’ tag, if you could call it that – aiming for honours in the elite race is sure to provide some motivation for him but it’s the scores of people that have questioned his inclusion for the London Games, including myself, admittedly, that is also likely to drive McCann.

He’s been third twice, runner-up on three occasions so it’s fair to say, the nationals that has always been kind to McCann.

McCann keeps his shape year-round and despite a horrific injury to his thumb in the Tour of Korea prior to last month’s An Post Rás, he has shrugged that off and appears to be in ominous form once again.

The course will suit him to an extent but if it was harder, he would perhaps do better.

McCann is liked for his aggressive racing and in the aftermath of his bronze medal last year he spoke about the negativity as one reason for him not finishing higher, though he did get third.

In fact, in Scotstown last year he spent half a lap away on his own which probably cost him in the finish but getting away from Roche (albeit hampered by his bad crash at the Dauphine) and Bennett was an incredible performance from the ageless northerner.

Expect something similar this time around.

Sam Bennett

It’s unclear how Bennett is following his DNS at the Boucles de la Mayenne (UCI 2.2) four-day in France but one thing is certain, and it’s that Bennett, sooner or later, will win a National championships at Elite level.

But it probably won’t be this year, not the elite category anyway.

The reserve man for the Olympics has had a very, very impressive season to date, stringing a couple of good months in Belgium (April and May) into the Rás where he, again, underlined his sprinting ability with a couple of top 10 placings but Sunday’s race is going to be harder, arguably, than any of the above.

What will assist Bennett, of course, is his team and should Sean Downey and/or McLaughlin and/or McConvey make it into the break, then the dynamic changes.

Simply put, if he’s there with a kilometre to go, he should podium, but a win is probably a year or two too early.

The U23 category could see him become the first man in Irish history to make it three-wins-in-a-row.

Paidi O’Brien

Runner-up twice, third place three times, it’s one of the great misfortunes that the Cork-based Dan Morrissey/Speedy Spokes fast-man hasn’t actually yet won a senior title.

Pipped in 2007 by Davy O’Loughlin in Waterford will probably be one of his biggest regrets, or ‘could have beens’ but there’s still enough kick in O’Brien’s legs to contend for a podium finish.

With the backing of a team, in Mick Fitzgerald particularly, it would take a brave man to write O’Brien off if he succeeds in getting into the escape and holding the pace until the finish.

Peter Hawkins
The Belfast rider, employed by the British IG Sigma Sport team, is enjoying a stellar season that has already seen him scoop the Des Hanlon, a string of lesser-known races in his home province, an eye-catching number of top 10 finishes at the Rás (including the Mamore Gap stage), as well as last week’s
Hawkins told stickybottle back in December that the National circuit race series and the Halfords Tour series were his top priorities – but he didn’t mention the nationals.

 He could still be a threat.

Adam Armstrong

What’s there to say about Armstrong that hasn’t been said already.

The precociously talented youngster has taken his cycling to a whole new level this year and as well as winning the KOH jersey at Rás Mumhan, a plethora of wins already this season, as well as a podium finish at the Rás, it will be interesting to see how he has come out of that.

He didn’t feature last year but has the potential to last the pace with the big guns.

Expect him to ride aggressively and if he gets in the break, he has the horse-power to contend, like he showed on stage six of the Rás with Ireland’s first podium finish.

Nicolas Roche

Roche has stood on all steps of the podium and it would take a brave man to bet against him standing on it again this year.

With the Tour just over a week away and the Dubliner looking in ominous form with a top 10 finish at the Tour de Suisse, he’s the man that will attract all the attention wherever he goes.

The course is a difficult one, and there won’t be many who have the legs and the horsepower to match Roche when he inevitably puts the hammer down.

Two climbs in such close proximity to one another is going to blow the race to pieces and Roche is likely to be the one causing the damage.

Riding the Tour de France as national champion is something he has fond memories of in the past and it’s bound to motivate him again.

Ronan McLaughlin

Hardly a dark horse anymore, the Donegal rider is just improving all the time and a National crown would be the perfect reward for the rider of the Rás.
That race gave him very little, a few awesome rides tempered by near misses and crashes, his eight-day ordeal sums up the sport in many ways, unforgiving.

But McLaughlin is tough as teak and should be capable of improving on his sixth place last year.

Philip Deignan

The Letterkenny man is one of the great enigmas of Irish cycling; capable of being awesome one minute and average the next.

One of only two Irish riders to win a stage of a Grand Tour in 20 years is a stat that no one can take from Deignan but that win in the Vuelta in 2009 is now almost three years ago and it remains to be seen if we’ll ever see him at that level again.

Now based in Dublin but riding for the UnitedHealthcare team, Deignan has dropped down from World Tour level but has ridden quite well this year so far, including some magnificent rides in the Tour of Turkey.

But that was in April. Like we said, hit or miss. If he hits form, it will be hard to beat him. But all too often, it’s been miss.

Philip Lavery
Another who is riding a slightly lower level than what he was last year, Lavery is still one of the most promising, if not the most, in the country right now and his aggressive style has earned him huge respect.

Winner of the Shay Eliott this year as well as Wednesday’s nights prestigious Stephen Roche GP are just some of the highlights of his year so far but winning an U23 title is what Lavery would want more than anything.

Like Bennett, the elite title is probably a few years away yet but will be one of the main players in the battle for that much sought-after u23 crown.

Honourable mentions: Connor McConvey, Sean Downey, Ryan Sherlock, Mark Dowling, Patrick Clarke.

 

Source: http://feeds.examiner.ie/~r/iesportsblog/~3/at1RCYxkjzw/post.aspx

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