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Last Updated: 14 Aug 2018 - 9:52:06 AM |
Teggart and McCarthy Star for Ireland in European Road Race Championships
By Press Release
13 Aug 2018,
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Matthew Teggart was best of the Irish on a day when the Irish colours featured prominently in the Men’s Road Race in Glasgow on the final day of action in the European Championships.
Teggart finished 38th,, within three minutes of the winner, after 230km of tough racing with driving rain making the roads of Scotland’s biggest city particularly treacherous throughout.
His team-mates Conor Dunne, Eddie Dunbar, Marc Potts and Robert Jon McCarthy were all non-finishers after a typical race of attrition which saw World Champion Peter Sagan among the large numbers forced to retire long before the finish.
McCarthy performed with great distinction, the Corkman launching the first attack of the day early on the first lap and then going on to spend much of the day in a six-rider breakaway in front of the race.
McCarthy’s first attack was closed down but the 24-year-old persevered and raced across to another attack a little later to help make up the early break of the day. McCarthy was out front for more than 130km while the rains of varying intensities served to make conditions particularly challenging for the riders.
As the Belgian team looked to capitalise on Sagan’s difficulties by driving the pace on the front, Dunne, Dunbar and Potts all found themselves caught behind a split in the peloton which put paid to their chances
With 80km left, McCarthy dropped back to the bunch to leave the stage clear for Teggart to complete his epic ride. The 22-year-old stayed to the fore throughout, and his green jersey was always in evidence near the front of the main group of race favourites.
Going out on the 16th and final 14.2km lap in Glasgow Green, Teggart was still part of a 40-rider main group including defending champion Alexander Kristoff and Olympic Champion Greg Van Avermaet.
It was uncharted territory for the 22-year-old who had never raced over 200km before and after a hectic final loop the Banbridge rider crossed the line 38th, a result which gave him considerable satisfaction:
“I’m well pleased to be honest,” said Teggart. “Obviously it’s my first time racing this sort of competition, the best guys in the world and this distance as well. I’ve never really raced over 200km before and with it being such a horrible miserable day which is not really my thing either.
“I’m more a fair weather rider these days. I was delighted to get round. Half way through I couldn’t really see, to be honest so I just treated each lap as the last and I was still there, I still had the legs to hang on when they were going hard so I’m well pleased.”
Ireland team manager Kurt Bogaerts was equally satisfied with the Irish team performance on a tough day for racing against many of the world’s top world tour professionals.
“It was a really good day,” said Bogaerts. “It was a very hard race and very technical with a lot of corners and up and down. We were in the breakaway with Robert and in the end we scored a good result with Matthew.
“That was something that we aimed for. For a guy 22-years-old it was a very good result. At this level we saw how the racing went, there were maximum of 50 riders finishing so to be part of the race was very good.
“I asked Robert-Jon to go in the breakaway and that worked out. He basically went in all the breakaways at the start. I’m happy with that. It was good exposure for Ireland and also for the rider so that’s good.”
RESULTS
Men’s Road Race
Gold Matteo Trentin (ITA) 5:50:02
Silver Mathieu Van Der Poel (NED) @s.t.
Bronze Wout Van Aert (BEL) @s.t.
38th Matthew Teggart(IRL) @2:57
DNF Conor Dunne (IRL)
DNF Eddie Dunbar (IRL)
DNF Robert-Jon McCarthy (IRL)
DNF Marc Potts (IRL)
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Official Website: www.glasgow2018.com
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