David Montgomery is not gridded for the National Cyclocross Championship and he's not happy about it (Picture: Toby Watson)
The gridding order for tomorrow’s men’s National Cyclocross Championships in Swords, north Dublin, has come in for criticism after some of the best riders were handed very unfavourable starting positions.
David Montgomery and Tim O’Regan, both very strong in the discipline, will start in a group of riders behind the 18 men who have gridded in three rows at the head of the field.
Those who have the best results in the preceding season are gridded at the front for all cyclocross championships.
And starting order of the others in the field is also based on results. But after the three-row grid of the 18 riders with the best results, the rest of the field lines up in no particular order behind them.
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In cyclocross races, passing can be difficult and those coming back through the field can slow advancing riders. Getting a good start by staying out of crashes and keeping up with the leaders is also imperative.
It means a good position in the grid is an advantage. And starting with the bunch behind the entire grid is a distinct disadvantage.
However, only results gained in the Ulster Cyclocross Series at the Fixx Supercross Series count towards gridding.
And with Montgomery and O'Regan having raced a lot in the UK this season, they have no results in those events meaning they are absent from the grid in Swords tomorrow.
Tim O'Regan is based in the UK and did not get home to race as often as he would have liked this winter. That has cost him a place at the front of the grid for the National Cyclocross Championships tomorrow.
“Certainly I’m in a less than ideal situation,” lamented Montgomery, who is one of the favourites to press for a medal in both the elite and U23 events.
“It’s a bit hard to believe that UCI points count for nothing," he added.
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"If the top rider in the world was Irish he'd still be starting from the back row.”
Connacht riders who rode their local series this year may also feel aggrieved as they are not gridded either.
However, national championships organiser David O’Neill said the rules had been set in stone for a number of years. And host club McNally Swords CC insisted it was not to blame.
Stickybottle.com understands club officials and commissaires have contacted the affected riders individually.
“The tradition for this race was the gridding order was based on UCI points gained and league results,” confirmed O’Neill.
Expect an absolutely ferocious start to the main race in tomorrow's National Cyclocross Championships in Swords.
“However, (Cycling Ireland) off-road commission changed that ruling in recent years so that the starting grid was going to be based on two scratch leagues; the Ulster league and the Fixx League, not UCI points.
“It’s unfortunate and I feel for the riders affected but I think they’ll be okay.
“We’ve a long, straight start of 850 metres tomorrow and there’s plenty of places to manoeuvre up the pack.
“If they make arrangements to get up then they should be okay. It’s going to be a very fast start.
"The forecast is eight degrees with a headwind and that slight uphill for the first 850 metres will be fast.”
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