By Brian Canty
The recent exclusion of Matthew Brammeier for the three-man Irish cycling team for the road race at the London Olympics this year has provoked much debate, even outrage in some cases.
Dan Martin (Garmin-Barracuda), Nicolas Roche (AG2R La Mondiale) and David McCann (RTS-Racing) is our team as it stands and unless Brammeier’s appeal is successful (we should know by Friday) that’s how it will remain.
Martin is set to make his debut while both Roche and McCann have rode the Olympics road race before, McCann having done so twice.
But Brammeier is set to lose out as he’s not even named as a reserve, that slot went to precocious Carrick-on-Suir youngster Sam Bennett.
The wrong team, in my opinion, has been selected and Brammeier has every right to feel aggrieved because the scoring process that picks the team as well as the awarding of points by the three-man selection panel is fundamentally flawed.
Each rider on the short-list ticks certain boxes, but Brammeier surely ticks enough to warrant inclusion.
It seems laughable that though he has beaten Roche and Martin in head-to-head clashes (National championships of 2010 and 2011), he is deemed surplus to requirements.
That’s not to say his inclusion should see either axed, but instead, McCann, in my opinion, should not go.
McCann has been one of the true greats of Irish cycling and has done all he is likely to do in his career.
Though he turned 39 in March he has showed there’s plenty thread left on the tyre with some sterling rides on the Asian circuit this year as well as in the Rás last month — a race he has already won in the past.
No one could argue he has given his life to the bike and the bike has given him a good life in return, as well as respect from any cycling person he encounters.
But what McCann could do in the Olympics, Brammeier could do too. They’d perform similarly in the time-trial but this doesn’t matter anyway because not only was it not a factor in the Olympic selection panels criteria but the medals will most likely be shared by Tony Martin, Fabian Cancellara and Bradley Wiggins; neither would have a chance of medalling even on their best day.
But the road race, why not give someone like Brammeier, a much younger guy, a shot?
Their job, as a domestique would be to keep Martin and Roche out of the wind, fetch bottles, pace either back on should they puncture and if it comes to it, provide spare bikes. Both would be equally adept at this ‘no thanks’ job having performed it many times over the course of their respective careers.
McCann is coming towards the end of his glittering career but Brammeier is still trying to build his. A good Olympic performance with the eyes of the world on it would mean far more to him than McCann.
Bennett too, let it not be said, is unlucky to lose out because he is the best sprinter of the lot. In my opinion, he would have the best chance of a result if it came down to a sprint because there’s no better galloper in the country right now. (He finished 15th behind Cav in that memorable 2009 stage of the Tour of Ireland into Killarney though still a teenager).
Too often I feel common sense is ignored in situations like this and though there must be some criteria; that criteria could and maybe should be based on a suitability test.
But the situation becomes more complex when you factor in that Dan Martin and Nicolas Roche are both on hefty Olympic funding. It would be outrageous if they didn’t go, given they’re on €40,000 and €20,000 respectively.
Brammeier is tough- this is the man who was run over by a cement truck five years ago while out training and spent four months learning to walk.
He moved back into the homeplace in Lincoln and got around using a zimmer frame.
He learnt to walk, then pedal, then pedal fast, fast enough for the Profel Ziegler Continental team in Belgium to snap him up before Sean Kelly saw him and took him on board for a couple of seasons where he excelled. He later went to the biggest team in the world (HTC-Highroad) but they disbanded and he was picked up by the second best team in the world, after Team Sky, Omega Pharma Quick Step.
Another reason I like him is his versatility. He can sprint, climb and time-trial and though not world class at either, he’s certainly on the right road.
Last year he won the elite time trial championships, which is arguably his best discipline having claimed the British U23 title some years back. And following the win in his adopted country, Brammeier then beat Dan Martin to make it two national titles in as many days.
Brammeier is a loyal domestique and his job in his Omega Pharma Lotto team is to make life as easy as possible for the team leaders there. Chores I already eluded to above.
Brammeier has done all that’s been asked of his team but unfortunately, this doesn’t dovetail with the scoring system outlined by Cycling Ireland.
Surely a dispensation can be made for him.
Source: http://feeds.examiner.ie/~r/iesportsblog/~3/fkxDlYQ2ILg/post.aspx
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