Martin and Roche to lead Ireland in Road World Championships

Dan Martin and Nicolas Roche will lead Ireland’s challenge in the Road World Championships road race on Sunday.

The duo are capable of winning in Florence after strong seasons on the road and were confirmed in Cycling Ireland’s team today.

Birmingham-born Martin won prestigious one-day race Liege-Bastogne-Liege and stage nine of the Tour de France and his cousin Roche, the son of 1987 world champion Stephen Roche, won a stage of the Vuelta a Espana, in which he finished fifth overall.

The pair will be joined in Ireland’s four-man team by Sam Bennett, a stage winner at the Tour of Britain, and Matt Brammeier, four times the Irish road race champion.