On Sunday, Mathieu van der Poel ended a 38-year wait for a Dutch victory in the elite World Road Racing Championships, soloing to a decisive triumph despite a late-race crash and a damaged shoe.

Ireland had six entries, however on a day when only 51 of 195 riders finished, they were among the non-finishers.

Rory Townsend was free in the early breakaway for much of the day but lost out when he punctured and then had a second mechanical issue.

Ben Healy rode aggressively but missed a vital split in the bunch and Sam Bennett experienced a mechanical problem and had to stop for a bike change.

The World Championship continues throughout the week and we hope our other competitors such as Lara Gillespie and Alice Sharp can come away with medals in the women’s events.