Robert Jon McCarthy is now eligible to ride for Ireland after the UCI approved his request to change his nationality. The 22-year old has represented Australia at junior and U23 level but he has decided that he wants to ride for the country of his birth. Above, taking the opening stage of the An Post Rás in 2014 (Photo: Sportsfile)
It has been confirmed that Robert Jon McCarthy can ride for Ireland in 2017 after the UCI approved his request to change his nationality from Australia, the country he has represented since he was a junior.
However, while the news is really positive for McCarthy, he is currently coming back to cycling after a prolonged break and he knows he will need to fight for his place on Irish track and road teams.
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McCarthy, who turns 23 years old in March, is no longer eligible for the espoir ranks.
The Cork-born sprinter is a former national junior champion of Australia and has also worn the yellow jersey the Rás.
He has also won a stage of the Herald Sun Tour, taking some notable WorldTour scalps that day in 2014.
He walked away from the sport in 2015 having fallen out of love with it.
McCarthy, who emigrated with his family from Cork to Australia as a child, rode for An Post-Chainreaction in 2014.
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He then moved onto SEG Racing, where Neil Martin has been one of the key figures, but decided he had had enough of the bike during that time.
But he rediscovered his desire to become a professional rider in May of this year and began training, as he explained to stickybottle recently.
The approval of his eligibility to now ride for Ireland is one he said he’s “over the moon” about.
He will ride for JLT-Condor in 2017, a UK-based Continental team.
That should give him plenty races to show what he has in the tank as he will compete abroad as well as on the UK pro circuit.
Of course, there will be chances to race in an Irish jersey next season too if 2016 is anything to go on.
National selections went to the Beaumont Trophy in the UK, as well as Kreiz-Breizh Elites, the An Post Rás and Kerry Group Rás Mumhan.
And having been a very strong rider on the Australian track circuit when he was a teenager, he may also line out on an Irish track team in the future.
It will be 2019 before McCarthy can race at World Championships level as there is a two-year lead-in period for any rider who switches allegiance.
But with plenty of years left ahead of him, that’ll be the least of his concerns.
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