The first Irish U23 and junior road racing teams since the 2019 season have been named by Cycling Ireland for the upcoming Newcastle West Four Day Stage Race in Co Limerick from July 30th.
The Irish U23 team - for what is the second round of the National Road Series - is made up of John Buller (Amicale Cycliste Bisontine), George Peden (Team PB Performance), Luke Smith (Moynalty Cycling Club) and Aaron Wade (Powerhouse Sport).
The former Irish U23 champion, Darragh O’Mahony (Swift
Carbon Pro Cycling), has also been named in the team, though he is an elite
rider. Cycling Ireland said last month it planned to fill one berth in the U23
selection with an elite cyclist.
Buller (22) is an established winner on the Irish scene and having moved to France for this season he took some time out recently to address a health issue but is now on the comeback trail.
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Peden (21) has emerged over the last 12 months as a very
promising proposition, especially against the clock, and this will be his first
Irish team.
Smith (22), a former junior international, has enjoyed a very strong run of form on home roads of late; winning the opening round of the National Road Series. He also recently won the Ballivor GP and the Leinster TT Championships.
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Wade (19) was unlucky not to get a medal at the National Omnium Championships last weekend, when he rode strongly but the tactics didn’t go his way in the points race. However, he came out the next day and won the Moynalty GP.
O’Mahony is the most experienced of the team, and the rider with the most victories in recent seasons, and he is always a dangerman when he pins on numbers.
The Irish junior team includes Ruairi Byrne (Orwell
Wheelers Cycling Club), Eoghan Cooke (Ounavarra Cycling Club), Dean Harvey
(VC Glendale), Samuel Moloney (Greenmount CA) and Rowan Montgomery (Ballymoney
CC).
Harvey won the opening round of the junior National Road Series last month and while he is clearly in form all of the other riders on the team have been going very strongly of late
Cooke and Montgomery
were 2nd and 3rd in the Irish junior road race championships last year and
Montgomery won the sprint gold at the recent National Junior Track
Championships.
Byrne won the A3-Junior race at the Moynalty GP last weekend and Moloney has been a very regular feature in the results this year; his first at junior level.
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