The New Year is less than two weeks away and already Cycling Ireland is readying to select its first national team of 2023, for the European Track Championships. Those championships take place unusually early next year and mark the start of the Paris 2024 Olympic qualification process.
It will be especially important for our team pursuiters, who are World Cup winners and Europeans medalists from last year, as they are seen as the best bet for qualification. However, other riders will also count themselves into the qualification mix and now Cycling Ireland is throwing open the selection process for the Europeans.
The national governing body is seeking expressions of interest from any rider interested in riding the Europeans and who feels they are at the required standard. The expressions of interest process, which has now been undertaken several times for different national teams, is aimed at making the selection process more open and transparent.
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The Europeans take place in Grenchen, Switzerland, from February 8th to 12th. Cycling Ireland high performance director, Iain Dyer, said it's earlier slot in the calendar was part of wider changes in international track cycling.
“We have become used to the main UCI track season being a winter endeavor for a number of years now, and are more familiar with track World Cups at this time of year leading up to the track World Championships in February," he said.
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"The calendar has swung around now, and we’ll have the European Championships in February for a couple of years to come, with both editions forming part of the Olympic qualifying journey. The newer format Nations Cups will follow hard on the heels of the Euros with three events in quick succession.”
The new calendar will build towards the Worlds in Glasgow next August, where world titles will be fought out in all disciplines of cycling - road, track, BMX and more - for the first time ever.
Cycling Ireland national track coach, Dan Henchy, said because the Worlds were in October and now the Europeans are less than seven weeks away, it meant a short break for our international track riders.
"Many (of the riders) have already been active at the UCI Track Champions League, and multiple track GPs. It’s important with the Euros and Nations Cups around the corner to hit the ground running,” he said.
Those riders who want to express an interest in being selected for the Europeans, and who have an "international track racing pedigree", can complete an expressions of interest form. Once completed, it should be emailed it to [email protected] by close of business on Monday, January 2nd.
Cycling Ireland has also compiled 'guidance notes' for any rider completing the form. Those notes are available by following this link.
