Six Bike Team Qualifies for Track Worlds in Paris 18-22 February

 

Cycling Ireland has successfully qualified eight riders to compete in the UCI Track Cycling World Championships at the Velodrome de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Paris from the 18-22 February. This news comes at the end of a tough track cycling season which included the European Championships and three World Cups. In order to compete in the World Championships the Irish Team had to place in the top rankings across the target disciplines in these events, and in doing so qualified Ireland’s biggest team ever to attend the Track World Championships.

 

Ireland’s newly formed Women’s Team Pursuit has improved consistently throughout the season, finishing in 11th place at the last World Cup in Cali, which ranked them as the 8th European Nation ahead of the World Championships in Paris. This is the first time that Ireland has qualified a Team Pursuit at the World Championships.

 

Caroline Ryan and Martyn Irvine qualified in the Omnium events, having both had a mixed season of racing so far. Irvine’s qualification is especially sweet considering he broke his shoulder bone in the Omnium at the first World Cup of the season, in Guadalajara, Mexico. Eoin Mullen has also qualified in the Men’s Sprint, which will top off a superb season which saw him win a Bronze medal in the U23 Men’s Sprint at the European Championships in July. Also qualified is Ryan Mullen, who will race in the Men’s Individual Pursuit. Ireland has qualified for both the Men’s and Women’s Scratch Race; these are events in which we have a proven record. In 2013 Martyn Irvine sensationally won the World Title in the Scratch Race, and followed it up with a Silver Medal in 2014. Caroline Ryan has also had success in this event in recent years, having been in the winning move the last two years.

 

Speaking from the squad base in Majorca, Head Coach Brian Nugent said:  “I’m absolutely delighted with the quota for the world championships, we spent a lot of time developing these riders, and to qualify so many for the world championships in the first year of this programme, we are thrilled. We have a very competitive team this year, where we can compete for medals with some riders.”

 

The UCI Track Cycling World Championships take place in the Velodrome de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines in Paris from the 18-22 February.


Qualified Events:

Women’s Team Pursuit

Men’s Omnium

Women’s Omnium

Men’s Sprint

Men’s Scratch Race

Women’s Scratch Race