Cycling Ireland has sought to open up the selection process for the World Championships to any rider who wants to be considered for Team Ireland, with the deadline for expressing an interest now fast-approaching.
While selection criteria obviously still apply, the national governing body wants to hear from any rider - across the disciplines - who believes they have satisfied the criteria and also want to be selected for the Worlds in Glasgow in August.
Cycling Ireland high performance director, Iain Dyer, said the objective was to pick the best riders for the multi discipline Worlds. However, riders would not be selected as a matter of course "simply to fulfil entry quotas" because the championships were so close to Ireland this year.
The expression of interest process is for: junior, U23 and elite riders in the road race and TT events; track elites; road race, TT and track paracyclists; MTB XCO riders at junior and elite level; junior and elite BMX racing; BMX freestyle park. With so many major events underway, Cycling Ireland is waiting until after this weekend to conclude the expression of interest process, though it then closes on Monday.
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"The most important thing for ourselves and our funding stakeholders is that our selections are clearly connected to our aspirations to be as medal competitive as possible in major championship events within this Olympic cycle or next," Dyer said.
"It’s imperative selections can stand up to this scrutiny whether it’s our best young junior riders with their sights set on LA Games in 2028, or our existing elite riders thinking of this years World Championships on their journey towards Paris 2024.
“Whilst it’s novel to have virtually every discipline at the same World Championships, it’s also very much mid-season for these disciplines with important events happening right now that could influence selection. These include the European Games for mountain bike cross-country and BMX freestyle park, the Road National Championships, as well as the many track GPs that are taking place at the moment. We wanted to incorporate as many of these milestone events as possible in our selection considerations."
"We understand it will be important to riders in some disciplines to wait until the European Games, or National Road Champs to have concluded at the weekend so they can add that result to their expression of interest forms. But with our selection procedure carrying us immediately from Tuesday 27th through to the end of the week, it’s important not to forget the deadline by close of business on Monday. We can’t consider anyone who hasn’t completed an expression of interest and submitted in time."
Those riders who are interested in being selected can complete an expression of interest form - available at this link - and return it to [email protected] by close of business on Monday, June 26th. A document aimed at guiding riders through the process is also available by following this link.
