Two of Irish cycling's brightest stars, Lara Gillespie (UAE Team ADQ) and Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) will be in demand during award season in the weeks and months ahead. And the first of those out of the traps is the Team Ireland Olympic Sport Awards.
The great news about these awards is that you can vote in most of the categories. The voting process is really simple. All you have to do is follow this link and vote for Gillespie and Healy.
Don't delay, vote for them right now. They deserve it.
As a group, we in the cycling community often complained the sport is overlooked in the Ireland, especially by the media. But this is now the perfect opportunity for us to promote cycling by voting for Healy and Gillespie.
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Given the success Irish cyclists have enjoyed this year, it is also no surprise that the Cycling Ireland high performance programme is also shortlisted for an award. The staff who run that programme - people like Iain Dyer and Neill Delahaye - deservedly get the nod.
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Indeed, Cycling Ireland is one of only three national governing bodies - long with Swim Ireland and Rowing Ireland - to be shortlisted for the ‘High Performance Programme of the Year’ award. However, that category is not open to a public vote.
But you can vote for Gillespie in one category and Healy in two categories. Again, just follow this link and it's really easy.
Gillespie is shortlisted for the 'Female Athlete of the Year' and Healy is nominated for the 'Male Athlete of the Year' - the two main categories in these annual awards.
Furthermore, Healy taking the Tour de France yellow jersey is shortlisted as the ‘Sporting Moment of the Year’. He is alongside Rory McIlroy for his win at the US Masters and Karen O’Connor, for her silver medal in the heptathlon at the Worlds.
Gillespie was crowned European and world champion on the track this year, in the elimination race; the first time Ireland has won a European senior cycling title and the first time an Irish woman has ever been crowned world champion in cycling.
Healy won stage 6 of the Tour de France this year, with an epic performance, and took the yellow jersey on stage time; the first time an Irish rider had held the jersey at the Tour since Stephen Roche in 1987. Healy also rounded out his season with bronze in the road race at the Worlds in Rwanda.
