Eighth for McCurley in the Women's Scratch Race - European Championships

Shannon McCurley finished eighth in the Women’s Scratch Race at the European Championships in Glasgow today.The women’s 10km Scratch Race was a 40-lap bunch race, with the medals being awarded to the first riders over the line.

Czech rider Jarmila Machacova attacked at the halfway mark, in a bold move for a lap. As the bunch sat up three more riders jumped across, including Belgium’s Jolien d’Hoore, with reigning world champion Kirsten Wild soon after.

Riding strongly McCurley worked with the bunch on bringing it all back together, setting it up for a bunch sprint. Unfortunately, the 26-year-old had to settle for eighth on the line. Gold went to Kirsten Wild (NED), silver to Emily Kay (GB) and bronze to Jolien d’Hoore (BEL).

“I’m not completely overwhelmed but I’m happy enough with the ride,” said the determined McCurley after her race, “it didn’t pan out the way I wanted it to, but it’s my first event as an endurance athlete at a major competition, so it’s a good start.”

While the Australia born rider is no stranger to the big championships, this year she switched from competing in the sprint events to focusing on endurance races. As a Keirin rider she was Ireland’s first female track cyclist to compete at the Olympic Games – racing in Rio in 2016.

Speaking about switching to endurance racing McCurley said – “It’s definitely a big change, but I definitely much prefer doing the endurance races. In the keirin I was never a medal hope, I was just making up numbers, and that just didn’t sit well with me. Now I’m doing what I need to do.

“The Scratch Race is always my favourite event – I just haven’t ridden enough of them in the last four years! It’ll come back. It’s a great starting point for me – but I’m not here to make up numbers anymore. So I have the Elimination on Sunday and I’m hoping for a bit better of a result there.”

After a tough year of surgery and recovery following a leg injury McCurley is glad to be back racing, and to be competing in the event in which she won a bronze medal as an U23 rider at the European Championships in 2011.

“I’m three months post my last surgery so that put me out for a long time, which was pretty disheartening, like mentally it was probably the worst out of it. Trying to get my head around injury and everything. Just dealing with that as an athlete – that’s a big deal! Yeah – it’s great to be back.”

Over the six days of track racing the twelve-rider Irish team will compete in fifteen events in the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow. Next up is Felix English in the Men’s Scratch Race.

History is made this week when Glasgow and Berlin host the inaugural European Championships, an exciting multi-sport event bringing together some of the continent’s leading sports, including the existing UEC cycling championships.

RESULTS

Women’s Scratch

GOLD Kirsten Wild (NED)

SILVER Emily Kay (GB)

BRONZE Jolien d’Hoore (BEL)

8^th Shannon McCurley (IRL)