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Last Updated: 31 Jul 2021 - 8:25:46 PM |
Martin best of Irish finishing 16th in Men’s Olympic Road Race
By Cycling Ireland
25 Jul 2021,
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Dan Martin finished 16th in a punishing 234-kilometer Men’s Olympic Road Race.
His Ireland teammate’s Nicolas Roche and Eddie Dunbar finished 75th and 76th respectively, both playing their part in animating the race and delivering a top 20 result for Team Ireland.
With 4,865 metres of climbing over a distance of 234 kilometers, the course was considered one of the toughest in Olympic history. The searing temperatures and over 6 hours in the saddle combined to whittle down the peloton with 82 of the 130 riders finishing the race.
24-year old Cork man, Eddie Dunbar said he wanted to put Banteer back on the Olympic map and he aimed to do just that with an attack inside the final 50 kilometers. Dunbar was joined by Remco Evenepoel and Vincenzo Nibali however other nations recognised the danger and acted quickly to close the gap.
The decisive move was made on the Mikuni Pass when one of the pre-race favourites, Tadej Pogačar (Slovenia) blew the peloton apart on the steep climb. The move saw Eddie Dunbar distanced while Dan Martin remained in contention until a kilometre before the summit.
Dan Martin crested Mikuni Pass in a chase group and battled on for a very respectable top 20 finish. Richard Carapaz (Ecuador) won Gold with Wout van Aert claiming silver ahead of Tadej Pogačar in a photo finish.
Team Ireland Results
16th Dan Martin (6:09:04), 75th Nicolas Roche (6:21:46), 76th Eddie Dunbar (6:21:46).
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Irish Entries in Tokyo Olympic Road Cycling Events
21 July 2021
The much-anticipated Tokyo Olympic Games is just days away with Ireland sending its largest ever cycling squad. Three riders will fly the flag for Ireland on the opening day of competition in the men’s road race, one of which will also compete in the Time Trial.
How to Watch
Coverage of the Olympic Games is brought to you by RTÉ Sport and the BBC. RTÉ2 coverage will start at 1.30am each morning and run right through until 3.30pm the following afternoon. At 7pm each evening on RTÉ2 there will be Today At The Games which will round-up all of the action with particular focus on the Irish athletes.
Men’s Road Race Irish Time: Saturday, July 24th - 3am to approx. 9:30am
Men’s Time Trial Irish Time: Wednesday, July 28th - 6am to approx. 8:30am
Men’s Road Race Course
The 234 kilometre race departs from the Musashinonomori Park, with a 10km neutral zone before routing west via the Kagosaka Pass, passing through Kanagawa, Yamanashi and Shizuoka.
The route - which accumulates 4865 metres of climbing - then heads off for the 'Mount Fuji Circuit', which sees riders take on the lower slopes of the volcano. On return, they'll pass the spectacular Lake Yamanakako.
Charging into the Fuji International Speedway racetrack, which will host the finish, riders will complete a short lap before moving on to the Mikuni Pass section. The 6.8km climb averages at 10.2 per cent, with sections at 12.6 per cent en route to the 1159 metre peak.
Next follows a long descent before the riders enter the Speedway circuit for the final time.
Men’s Time Trial Course
The men’s time trial course is 44.4km in length, consisting of two 22.1km loops of the Fuji Speedway. The route features a series of descents and inclines totalling 423m of climbing.
TEAM IRELAND
Nicolas Roche, Dan Martin and Eddie Dunbar will represent Ireland in the Men’s Road Race. Roche will also ride the Individual Time Trial.
Nicolas Roche (Born 1984)
Nicolas Roche is one of the sports most experienced athletes and enters his fourth Olympic Games. He is also one of several athletes in this year’s team whose father, Stephen Roche also competed for Team Ireland in the Olympic Games.
With 24 Grand Tour appearances under his belt, two stage victories at the Vuelta a Espana and 64 top-10 Grand Tour stage finishes, Roche will take on the responsibility of road captain.
Major Results
2 x Vuelta a España Stage Winner
64 x Grand Tour Top 10 Stage Finishes
5th General Classification Vuelta a España 2013
6th General Classification Vuelta a España 2010
Dan Martin (Born 1986)
Dan Martin will become a 3-time Olympian and holds stage wins in all three Grand Tours – the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana. Martin finished 4th on General Classification at the 2020 Vuelta a Espana and is a winner of two Monuments of cycling, Liege – Bastogne – Liege and Il Lombardia.
Martin finished the Tour de France with good legs to take 5th and 8th on mountain stages within the final week of racing. He will be hoping to carry over his good form into the mountainous Olympic Road Race. A climbing specialist Martin will be one to watch.
Major Results
Liège - Bastogne - Liège Winner
Il Lombardia Winner
2 x Tour de France Stage Winner
2 x Vuelta a España Stage Winner
1 x Giro d'Italia Stage Winner
4th General Classification Giro d'Italia
Eddie Dunbar (Born 1996)
Cork man Eddie Dunbar entered World Tour racing with Team Sky in 2018, picking up a podium finish on stage 12 of the Giro d’Italia in his first Grand Tour appearance. Dunbar’s good form has continued as he played a pivotal role in supporting teammate Richard Carapaz take victory at the Tour of Switzerland earlier this year, winning the best young rider classification in the process.
At home in the mountains the Mount Fuji Circuit with its 4865 metres of elevation gain will suit climbing specialist Dunbar.
Major Results
3th General Classification Tour of Yorkshire 2019
4th General Classification Belgium Tour
1st Young Rider Tour of Switzerland 2021
3rd Giro d’Italia Stage 12
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