Race glory ‘is a dream come true’

Family and friends of newly crowned world champion Rob Heffernan mixed nerves with tears after a 24 hours they will never forget.

Although the crowning of Ireland’s third world champion was not shown live on RTÉ, the whole of Rob Heffernan’s home suburb of Togher in Cork were up in the early hours to capture their man beating the Russians on their home patch.

Yesterday, his father Bobby and siblings Elton, Anthea, Lyndsey, and Rhonda and a gaggle of his nieces and nephews were taking in the enormity of what Rob had achieved.