Conor Regan has been really impressive since the season began and now deservedly gets his first call up to an Irish road team (Photo: Toby Watson)
Conor Regan (Kilcullen CC Murphy Geospatial) has secured his first call-up to the Irish junior national road team after a really impressive run of form since the start of the 2026 campaign, his first as a junior.
It is a mark of how successful the young crop of riders in his Kildare-based club has been in recent years that two of them are picked for the upcoming Watersley Junior Challenge (2.1), with Fionn Killeen also included in the Team Ireland selection.
Killeen was part of the national team for the Quanta Capital Junior Tour of Ireland, with Cycling Ireland making limited changes to that team line-up for the Dutch three-day starting on Friday.
Also included is Junior Tour general classification winner, and double stage victor, Rian McCrystal (Cannibal B Victorious).
The Louth teenager will relish the chance of showing what he can do in an international field after an incredible week for him on the JT, especially as he sprinted so well, which will likely be useful in the Netherlands this week.
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The same can be said for George Sevastopulo (Team Sundrive), who specialises in sprinting, on road and track.
George Sevastopulo produced a great effort at the end of last month's road Nationals and also rode very strongly at the recent European Track Championships (Photo: Toby Watson)
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The manner Sevastopulo demolished the sprint for 4th place at the end of a hard junior road race at the National Championships last month suggests he can count himself in this weekend.
He also performed very well at the recent European Track Championships. And while his performances were overshadowed by the golds won by Seth Dunwoody and Emer Heverin, he more than held his own.
James Armstrong (U19 Academy Région Sud powered by Giant) and Darragh Byrne (AS Villemur Cyclisme) are also included.
Both riders were very strong on the Junior Tour, closing down the breakaways once McCrystal got himself into a race-winning position.
Armstrong, in particular, has shown real promise this season and seems to do better on harder, more selective, courses such as the Nationals road race, where he was 2nd.
But Regan will be the new man in the green of Ireland in a road team later this week and his selection is thoroughly deserved. He missed out on being an U16 again this year by a fortnight, as his birthday falls on December 15th.
However, despite the fact he is one of the youngest riders in every race he rides, he has shown considerable class this year and a real willingness to race, taking it on from the drop of the flag back in March.
More to come.
