Women’s Team Pursuit Demonstrate Potential with Irish Record and 8th Place Finish in First Outing
Ireland Women’s Team Pursuit Team finished with an Irish record in 8th place at the 2014 UEC Track Elite European Championships in Baie-Mahault, Guadaloupe, yesterday. The newly formed quartet qualified for the finals in the opening rounds, securing vital qualifying points towards the Rio Olympics. In the 7th-8th place final the Irish team finished with their fastest time of 4.50.218. In the Men’s Scratch Race Javan Nulty and Martyn Irvine were in action, with Nulty finishing in 17th place in his senior debut, and Irvine finishing in 28th place. Lauren Creamer and Lydia Boylan finished 21st and 22nd respectively in the Women’s Points Race. These Championships mark the first step in the Rio Olympic Qualification Process for the Irish Team, with riders competing across Olympic and non-Olympic disciplines in the French Caribbean Velodrome. The European Championships run from Wednesday the 15th October to Sunday the 19th October.
The Team Pursuit is a 4km race against the clock, with four riders on each team. The fastest teams qualify to the next rounds. While normally only the top four teams get an opportunity to ride for medals, the rules were amended slightly, as there were Olympic Qualifying Points up for grabs. The initial qualifying round for the team pursuit determined the top eight teams, which meant that yesterday the teams had a second chance to gain places. Solid rides throughout the weekend by the Irish team kept them in 8th place, although their final time of the competition was their fastest.
Speaking after the final Head Coach Brian Nugent said “The Women’s Team Pursuit performed better than anyone could have expected, with three of the four making their debut in this event. Having ridden three rounds in two days, and finishing it off with the quickest ride at the end shows how much they have been learning as they have gone through this competition.”
Today’s action kicks off with Eoin Mullen who will be racing in the Men’s Sprint, the heats of which span the day. Martyn Irvine will also be competing in the Omnium, an event in which he will be racing throughout the World Cup Series this year, in pursuit of Olympic Qualifying Points. In the Women’s Scratch Race Shannon McCurley and Lydia Boylan will be competing, while Cormac Clarke and Javan Nulty will race in the Men’s Points Race. The UEC Track Elite European Championships run from the 15th – 19th October.
RESULTS
Women’s Team Pursuit:
1 GREAT BRITAIN GBR 4:38.391
2 RUSSIA RUS 4:45.364
3 ITALY ITA 4:42.018
8 IRELAND IRL 4:50.218
Men’s Scratch Race:
1 VERGAERDE Otto BELGIUM
2 TERUELROVIRA Eloy SPAIN
3 CLANCY Edward GREAT BRITAIN
17 NULTY Javan IRELAND
28 IRVINE Martyn IRELAND
Women’s Points Race:
1 BUJAK Eugenia POL
2 DRUYTS Kelly BEL
3 CECCHINI Elena ITA
21 CREAMER Lauren IRL
22 BOYLAN Lydia IRL
| Day 0 – Wednesday 15th October 2014 | Results | ||
| 23.00 Irish Time | Caroline Ryan Lydia Boylan Lauren Creamer Melanie Spath | Women Team Pursuit - Qualifier | 8 4.52.221 |
| 00.30 Irish Time | Martyn Irvine Ryan Mullen Cormac Clarke Javan Nulty | Men Team Pursuit – Qualifier | DNF |
| Day 1 – Thursday 16th October 2014 |
| ||
| 23.00 Irish Time | Caroline Ryan Lydia Boylan Lauren Creamer Melanie Spath | Women Team Pursuit Finals | 8 4.50.218 |
| 01.00 Irish Time | Lauren Creamer Lydia Boylan | Women’s Points Race | 21 22 |
| 01.40 Irish Time | Martyn Irvine Javan Nulty | Men’s Scratch Race | 28 17 |
| Day 2 – Friday 17th October 2014 |
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| 15.10 Irish Time | Eoin Mullen | Men Sprint 200m TT |
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| 15.50 Irish Time | Martyn Irvine | Men Omnium I Scratch Race 15km |
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| 16.45 Irish Time | Eoin Mullen | Men Sprint 1/16 Final |
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| 17.38 Irish Time | Eoin Mullen | Men Sprint 1/8 Final |
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| 18.06 Irish Time | Eoin Mullen | Men Sprint 1/8 Final Repechages |
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| 18.16 Irish Time | Martyn Irvine | Men Omnium II Individual Pursuit 4km |
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| 23.14 Irish Time | Eoin Mullen | Men Sprint ¼ Final First Round |
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| 23.28 Irish Time | Shannon McCurley Lydia Boylan | Women Scratch Race 10km |
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| 23.57 Irish Time | Eoin Mullen | Men Sprint ¼ Final Second Round |
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| 00.14 Irish Time | Eoin Mullen | Men Sprint ¼ Final Third Round (if necessary) |
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| 00.26 Irish Time | Eoin Mullen | Men Sprint Final 5-8 place |
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| 00.31 Irish Time | Martyn Irvine | Men Omnium III Elimination Race |
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| 00.43 | Cormac Clarke Javan Nulty | Men’s Points Race 40km |
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| Day 3 – Saturday 18th October 2014 |
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| 14.30 | Caroline Ryan | Women Omnium I Scratch Race 10km |
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| 14.50 | TBC | Men’s Individual Pursuit – Qualification 4km |
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| 16.00 | Martyn Irvine | Men Omnium IV Kilometre TT |
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| 16.36 | Caroline Ryan | Women Omnium II Individual Pursuit 3km |
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| 21.37 | Eoin Mullen | Men’s Sprint Semi Final Round 1 |
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| 21.44 | Martyn Irvine | Omnium V Flying Lap |
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| 22.27 | Eoin Mullen | Men’s Sprint Semi Final Round 2 |
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| 23.29 | Eoin Mullen | Men’s Sprint Semi Final Round 3 (if necessary) |
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| 00.01 | Eoin Mullen | Men’s Sprint Finals 3-4 and 1-2 Round 1 |
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| 00.08 | TBC | Men’s Individual Pursuit 3-4 Final and 1-2 Final |
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| 00.36 | Eoin Mullen | Men’s Sprint Finals 3-4 and 1-2 Round 2 |
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| 00.44 | Caroline Ryan | Women Omnium III Elimination Race |
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| 01.06 | Eoin Mullen | Men’s Sprint 3-4 and 1-2 Round 3 (if necessary) |
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| 01.26 | Martyn Irvine | Men Omnium VI Points Race 40km |
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| Day 5 – Sunday 19th October 2014 |
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| 15.00 | Shannon McCurley | Women’s Keirin Round 1 |
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| 15.16 | Eoin Mullen | Men’s Keirin Round 1 |
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| 15.32 | TBC | Women’s Individual Pursuit Qualifier 3km |
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| 16.22 | Caroline Ryan | Women Omnium IV 500m TT |
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| 16.52 | Shannon McCurley | Women’s Keirin Repechages Round 1 |
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| 17.08 | Eoin Mullen | Men’s Keirin Repechages Round 1 |
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| 22.00 | Shannon McCurley | Women’s Keirin Semi Final |
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| 22.08 | Eoin Mullen | Men’s Keirin Semi Final |
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| 22.16 | Caroline Ryan | Women Omnium V Flying Lap |
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| 22.52 | TBC | Women’s Individual Pursuit 3-4 and 1-2 Finals 3km |
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| 23.13 | Shannon McCurley | Women’s Keirin Final Places 7 to 12 and 1 to 6 |
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| 23.21 | Eoin Mullen | Men’s Keirin Final Places 7 to 12 and 1 to 6 |
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| 01.04 | Caroline Ryan | Women Omnium VI Points Race 24km |
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Official Results Website: www.trackcyclingtiming.com
Official Website: http://uec.ch/track.html
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