IRELAND’S RYAN MULLEN produced a prodigious performance this afternoon to finish fifth in the UCI World Championships time trial.
The 22-year-old, on his debut at this elite level, demonstrated his huge potential by defying his relative years to finish among the best riders in the world.
Mullen set a blistering time in 37 degree temperatures in Doha to occupy the ‘hot seat’ position for large periods of the 40km event.
The Cannondale-Drapac rider’s time of 46:04 around the desert ultimately saw him finish in fifth position, an incredible achievement for the U23 time trial silver medallist.
He was eventually dethroned by Germany’s Tony Martin who obliterated the field to win a the title for a record-equaling fourth time.
“I don’t really know what happened today, I don’t know if maybe I took a shortcut or something,” he said.
“Ryan Mullen doesn’t get 5th in the world, just 11 seconds off a medal! I’m in disbelief, that’s really good and I just hope I can keep progressing at this level.
“I was in the hot seat early on, and I just thought they’d push me off it pretty quickly. But I sat there for nearly two hours, and then was off it completely in the space of four minutes.”
Martin’s margin of victory was 45 seconds as last year’s champion Vasil Kiryienka of Belarus had to settle for second and Spain’s Jonathan Castroviejo coming there.
Martin previously won the title in 2011, 2012 and 2013, and joins Fabian Cancellara as the only four-time winners of the event.
One of the pre-race favourites, Tom Dumoulin, the Olympic silver-medallist, finished way back in 11th place.
Ireland’s Nicholas Roche finished in 30th.
On Thursday, Ireland’s U23 road race team are in action in the 166km event while Mullen and Roche will be back in the saddle for Saturday’s elite road race.
The42 is on Snapchat! Tap the button below on your phone to add!
