Cycling Ireland could have sent a total of 27 riders to the World Road Championships in Australia later this month, according to the nations' allocation of places by the UCI. The Irish allocation across the junior, U23 and elite road races and TTs is set out below.
The Irish governing body said this week it had made the decision not to send any team to Australia. It cited budgetary constraints and the fact other international fixtures, including the Europeans, were prioritised this year. It is the first time since 1976 Ireland will not have any riders at the road Worlds. Sean Kelly rode his first Worlds in 1977 and since then the record of Irish participation has been unbroken.
The largest Irish team qualified this year for the Wollongong Worlds was by the U23 male riders, who could have had a five-man team in the road race with a further two places available for the TT.
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Usually, when Irish teams are picked for the road Worlds, Europeans or Olympics there is crossover between the riders who compete in the TTs and the road races. However, at the Worlds there is no requirement to use the TT riders in the road race team.
For example, while the Irish U23 men qualified five riders for the road race - and all nations are also allocated two slots in the TT - Cycling Ireland could have picked a total of seven riders to fill those seven berths in Wollongong.
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The rest of the allocations for Ireland, across the categories, are as follows:
- Elite men’s road race – four road race, two TT
- Elite women – two riders road race, two TT
- U23 men’s road race – five riders road race, two TT
- Junior men – two riders road race, two TT
- Junior women – four riders road race, two TT
Even if Cycling Ireland was sending a team it is unlikely 27 riders would have been selected as several riders would have ridden both road race and TT in all categories. Furthermore, the full allocation may not have been filled. However, up to 27 riders could have been selected.
Cycling Ireland chief executive Matt McKerrow has cited the cost of going to the 2022 title races in Wollongong as a factor in the decision not to send a team.
“This decision has not been taken lightly – and reflects the need to be certain we can stand over the value and benefit of expenditure right across the sport,” said McKerrow.
“With the exponential cost increases in attending events post Covid, including some we’ve experienced already this year where flights and accommodation have escalated by some 70-80 per cent on previous editions, we’ve taken the decision to prioritise resources to other high-performance event and development activities at this time.”
