Ireland goes "all out" for Sam Bennett (open in new tab) in the men's road race at the World Championships.

The Irish team will travel to Yorkshire despite the absence of Nicolas Roche due to a knee injury sustained at the Vuelta a España.

Bennett has had success throughout the season, most recently taking two stage wins at the Vuelta, bringing his win total to 13 for the season. Yorkshire's successes include Conor Dunn, Ryan Mullen, Dan Martin, Eddie Dunbar, and Laurie Townsend.

Dunbar will make his debut in the elite race next Sunday, but has been in good form of late, finishing sixth in last week's Giro della Toscana.

"We have a good group of riders, and I think it will be a pretty good race if everyone is fit," Dunbar told Cycling News at the recent Tour of Britain.

The consensus is that the men's elite race in Yorkshire is too hard for the pure sprinters, but Bennett's performance in the Vuelta, at least until the last two laps of the Harrogate circuit where the Dutch, Belgians, and French are expected to swing the hammer down

For Dunbar, the condition of his compatriot is worthy of leadership within the Irish team.

"Bennett is in very good shape right now and if he can race well at the World Championships, there's no reason why he can't be on top of that. I will give him my all. People say sprinters can't climb, but if you look at Sam, he can. Many other sprinters will be wary of him in any race from now on."

A Year of Breakthroughs

The 2019 campaign was a landmark year for Dunbar, as the 23-year-old competed his first full season at the World Tour level, making his first Grand Tour debut at the Giro d'Italia, and after impressive performances with Team signed a three-year contract extension with Team Ineos.

Always a low-key professional, Dunbar did not mention his own performance, but noted that his surprise call-up at the Giro (he was selected after Egan Bernal was forced to withdraw) was a major stepping stone in his career.

"It's going well. I don't think I've had a crazy year in terms of results, but I've been solid and consistent; getting injured in March wasn't ideal, but I think I've had a good season, being in the Giro and all that."

Dunbar signed with Team Ineos after the Aqua Blue team disappeared mid-season in 2018. Since then, he has thrown himself into World Tour racing, taking every opportunity that came his way. While it's been a steep learning curve, he's glad for the opportunities he's been given, but he's also aware that he's still playing catch-up with more experienced riders of his age.

"In terms of racing and experience, I am still a little behind the other guys. I've had a lot of injuries in the last few years, but that's because of crashes and I have to deal with that.

"It's still hard to catch up with riders my own age, but I'm sure I'll catch up as the races go on. It's a physical issue. I haven't really raced at this level since I was a junior. I haven't been exposed to too many high level races until this year. The more I do it, the better I get. I want to perform at the top level, not just in small races."

With his three-year contract with Team Ineos, Dunbar is hoping with the team to have the best year of his career. The length of the contract is a sign of confidence in the Irish rider's potential and ability.

"It means I can grow with the team," he told Cycling News.

"We have some really good young riders and they have long-term contracts too. Now we have a core group and the teams want us to race together. Then we build our relationship as a unit and take over when the others retire. It will be an exciting few years to be a part of that. When I came to this team and saw how everything was done, I felt a great sense of relief that a sports team could be run this well. It changed my perspective and made me a better rider and a better person."

While race plans for 2020 have yet to be discussed within Team Ineos, Dunbar is naturally eager to return to Grand Tours.

"It could be anyone. Anyone on this team," he jokingly said.

"I enjoyed the Giro. Being called up was huge. I think if I work hard, listen to everything the team says, be professional, and show that I want to be there, I think I can qualify."

"I want to be in the Grand Tour and go back to the Ardennes and do better than I did this year. I want to race some more and go to Pais Vasco, but like I said before, I want to improve in the race, on an upward curve."