Women’s Team Pursuit Guaranteed Olympic Qualifying Points at 2014 UEC Track Elite European Championships – Guadeloupe
Women’s Team Pursuit Qualify for Finals Following Strong Debut at European Championships
UPDATE:
The Irish Women's Team will face Lithuania in the 7-8 Finals later on tonight (approx 11pm Irish time).
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Ireland’s Cycling Team had a solid start to day one of the 2014 UEC Track Elite European Championships in Baie-Mahault, Guadaloupe, which started last night with the Team Pursuit events. The Irish women were the first team on the track, and set a strong time of 4.52.221 over the 4km distance. With this being the debut track event for half the team, the time put them in an impressive 8th place, guaranteeing them Olympic qualifying points as they compete in the next round this afternoon, facing the Italian Team. The Men’s Team were less fortunate, as a crash in the final lap put them out of the 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 Women’s Team Pursuit of Lydia Boylan, Lauren Creamer, Caroline Ryan and Melanie Spath started well, recording the 4th fastest opening kilometre, before finishing in 8th place, 11.93 seconds behind leaders and defending Champions Great Britain. As points in this event go towards qualifying for the Olympics, they will compete again with an opportunity to gain places. In the next round today they will face Italy in Heat 2. A good time in this round could see them climb places, with the fastest finishers competing for minor finals tonight.
The Men’s Team Pursuit Team was unlucky in their qualifier last night, performing strongly in the qualifying 4km heat, before crashing in the closing lap. The fastest time posted in the qualifying rounds of the men’s event was 4.12.022 by Great Britain.
Speaking after the heats in the outdoors Velodrome in Guadeloupe, Cycling Ireland’s Head Coach Brian Nugent said “this was a really solid debut by both teams into the Elite ranks. The women’s team proved their potential by making it through to the final rounds tomorrow. The men were so unlucky. They were on such a good ride, placing in the top 6 until a tangle in the final corner, remarkable for a new team. There’s so much more to come from both teams. It’s incredibly exciting for the future.”
Next up on the track are the Women's Team Pursuit in the Finals racing for 7th place at approximately 11pm Irish time. Martyn Irvine and Javan Nulty will compete in the Men's Scratch Race, and Lydia Boylan and Lauren Creamer in the Women's Points Race. The UEC Track Elite European Championships run from the 15th – 19th October.
RESULTS
Women’s Team Pursuit:
1 52/GREAT BRITAIN GBR 4:40.289 +0.000
2 50/RUSSIA RUS 4:44.000 +3.711
3 43/LITHUANIA LTU 4:46.703 +6.414
4 48/GERMANY GER 4:47.279 +6.990
5 49/ITALY ITA 4:48.119 +7.830
6 51/POLAND POL 4:48.526 +8.237
7 42/FRANCE FRA 4:49.243 +8.954
8 41/IRELAND IRL 4:52.221 +11.932
Men’s Team Pursuit:
1 65/GREAT BRITAIN GBR 4:12.022 +0.000
2 59/GERMANY GER 4:13.975 +1.953
3 64/RUSSIA RUS 4:14.856 +2.834
4 61/SWITZERLAND SUI 4:15.607 +3.585
DNF 53/IRELAND IRL
| Day 0 – Wednesday 15th October 2014 | Results | ||
| 23.00 Irish Time | Caroline Ryan Lydia Boylan Lauren Creamer Melanie Spath | Women Team Pursuit - Qualifier |
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| 00.30 Irish Time | Martyn Irvine Ryan Mullen Cormac Clarke Javan Nulty | Men Team Pursuit – Qualifier |
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| Day 1 – Thursday 16th October 2014 |
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| 15.30 Irish Time | Caroline Ryan Lydia Boylan Lauren Creamer Melanie Spath | Women Team Pursuit Heat 2 Ireland Vs Italy |
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| 23.00 Irish Time | Caroline Ryan Lydia Boylan Lauren Creamer Melanie Spath | Women Team Pursuit Finals |
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| 01.00 Irish Time | Lauren Creamer Lydia Boylan | Women’s Points Race |
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| 01.40 Irish Time | Martyn Irvine Javan Nulty | Men’s Scratch Race |
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| 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 | TBC | 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 | TBC | 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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