O’Loughlin puts on inspired display

Ireland’s good start to the UCI World Championships in Ponferrada, Spain continued yesterday when junior rider Michael O’Loughlin finished a brilliant eighth in the men’s time trial.

The Carrick-on-Suir man said he was inspired by Ryan Mullen’s silver medal-winning display a day earlier.

O’Loughlin produced a superb performance that saw him lead the race for a time. The 17-year-old, who is eligible to ride again next year, set the fastest times at the opening two checkpoints and when he crossed the finish line, he had set the fastest time by a whopping 15 seconds, shifting Polish rider Mikolaj Gutek out of the lead.