Rock bottom Ireland badly in need of a Dutch of class
A fortnight ago, the team were placed fifth in the Swiss leg of the eight-round league. This is not exceptional on its own, but, when measured against the last-place finishes of La Baule and Rome, it may signal the start of a comeback. However, Ireland continues to prop up the league table.
We have now reached the half-way stage and yesterday the latest chef d’equipe, Eamonn Rice sang what has become a familiar refrain.
“This is first time that we really have our best riders and we are hoping for a very good result,” said the Ulsterman. “It will be difficult, but, hopefully, we will pull it together. We are drawn third to go and are hopeful we can get reasonable points. But it will be very competitive and the tracks will be big. The Germans, Swiss and Dutch have strong teams and we will be hoping for a third or fourth. It’s a lot to ask for a win, but we live in hope and with a bit of luck, we’ll be in the first three.”
At present, Ireland’s league tally amounts to just 3.5 points, one behind Belgium and a further half a point adrift of the Netherlands.
League leaders the USA, field a completely new team today and, while American course designer Linda Allen returns to Rotterdam, they will be under pressure to repeat the performance of the previous US team that garnered 21 points so far.
Title holders France will aim to repeat the winning performance of St Gallen that hoisted them to third, while second-placed Britain - boasting three Whitakers: John, his son Robert and niece Ellen - will eye this as an opportunity to overtake the Americans.
Rice will be looking for Jessica Kürten (Castle Forbes Maike) to repeat her St Gallen double clear, one of only four in the contest, while there is no doubting the credentials of Billy Twomey (Anastasia), Harry Marshall (Ado Annie), and Clement McMahon (Gelvin Clover). The question is, however, can the horsepower match?
Last year, Ireland were in similar dire circumstances and a third place at Rotterdam proved influential in helping them clamber out of the mire.
We must wait to see if it is a case of double Dutch.
