Fiona Mangan has been added to the Irish national team for the European Road Championships in the Netherlands this weekend. She will taking the place of Megan Armitage, who is out of the team despite riding very strongly of late, including finishing 5th overall at AG Tour de la Semois (2.2) in Belgium on Saturday.
Mangan will now join Alice Sharpe in the two-rider Irish team for the women's road race in Drenthe next Saturday, September 23rd. Currently riding for US Continental team Cynisca Cycling, Mangan was last in action at the weekend in the same Belgian race as Armitage, though she did not start the second stage.
The previous week she rode the six-stage Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l'Ardèche (2.1) in France, taking 7th on the opening day of action. She also banked a week of very hard racing - in sweltering conditions - and that hit out should prove valuable preparation for the Europeans.
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It was not immediately clear why Armitage (Arkéa Pro Cycling Team) has withdrawn from the Irish team for the European title road race but we will bring you news on that when we have it.
The change to the women's road race team follows the withdrawal of Sam Bennett (Bora-hansgrohe) from the men's road race team, with Cycling Ireland saying he had fallen ill after completing the Tour of Britain the weekend before last, when he abandoned on the last stage.
Erin Creighton (McConvey Cycles) has also been forced out of the U23 women's road race team at the Europeans due to crash injuries. The first-year U23 rider was on the national team at Rás na mBan the week before last when she crashed on the opening stage.
While she got back on her bike and finished the stage, thus staying in the race, her injuries ultimately forced her out of the event. The promising teenager - who rides for Ireland on track and road - has now drawn her season to a close as the crash injuries have forced her to withdraw from the Irish team for the Europeans.
