Cycling Ireland names sixteen riders on new ‘FBD Talent Team 2020’ selection

Dion McCarthy, seen here taking a win in Belgium in August, is in the Talent Team 2020 line-up

A strong line-up of 16 youth riders from across the country has been named by Cycling Ireland in the new ‘FBD Talent Team 2020’ panel.

Among the group are seven riders who were second-year U16 riders in the 2012 season and so will be too old for youth racing next year and will move into the junior ranks.

However, this group has been named in the line-up in order to keep them within a formal Cycling Ireland coaching and support structure for the three off-season months that remain in their U16 careers. The federation has identified the step up from U16 to junior as the period in which most young riders fall away from the sport.

The group of seven second-year U16s named in the panel today includes Mark Downey (Banbridge CC), Eddie Dunbar (Kanturk CC), Dylan O’Brien (Kanturk CC), Shane O’Hara (Limerick CC), Fintan Ryan (Sorrento CC), Stephen Shanahan (Limerick CC) and Matthew Teggart (Banbridge CC).

These will be included in any training camps in the coming months and will all most likely be named in the junior development squad for next season when that line-up is unveiled.

That would leave nine riders in the Talent Team 2020 line-up for next year and stickybottle understands one more rider may be added for the new season.

There are some very strong emerging young riders in that group.

Cycling Ireland head development coach, Paddy Doran said he was looking forward to working with the riders, adding that some of them had already put in some great performances during the season just ended.

“Our FBD TT2020 programme has attracted a lot of attention both within and outside Ireland,” Doran said on the announcement of the new panel today.

“Of the 16 boys picked 12 months ago, Mark Downey, Michael O' Loughlin, Shane O' Hara, Declan Mulholland, Dion McCarthy and Adam Thatcher have all been prize-winners competing abroad.”

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While not named in the line-up last year, Kanturk’s Eddie Dunbar has also been a stand-out performer at home this year and enjoyed a stage win in the Trac Tour in South Africa early in the season.

His team mates Shane O’Hara and Dillon Corkery have also been very impressive this year and they are included in the U16 and U13 line ups respectively that were announced today.

Doran noted that some of those named this time last year who were second-year U16s at the time had since moved on to the junior ranks and had done very well.

“Thomas Fallon and Dylan Foley have competed in the European Championships and Matthew Doyle in the World Championships. The young lads can see there is a pathway provided for them if they apply themselves. The new additions will definitely strengthen the team."

The Talent Team 2020 concept aims to engage talented youths with the national set-up and nurture them through to international level at junior ranks.