Irish cyclocross riders have moved up the UCI world rankings; the Belfast International helping Ireland's cause (Photo: Toby Watson)
Ireland up UCI cyclocross rankings despite low funding
Irish cyclocross has made a move up the UCI cyclocross world rankings after the recent Belfast international.
Irish riders gained UCI ranking points at the Belfast race because it had secured UCI ranking.
That has resulted in Ireland gaining places in the nations’ world rankings, which will result in better gridding at the World Championships and Europeans.
The gains have been made despite the cyclocross high performance budget in Ireland reaching just €2,500 annually.
The UCI event in Belfast the weekend before last was independently organised; with no funding from Cycling Ireland.
The Belfast International was organised mainly by rider and race organiser Glenn Kinning of Kinning Cycles.
However, despite the scene operating under its own steam the off-road commission has outlined the gains made in the UCI rankings in the aftermath of the Belfast International.
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In the junior rankings Ireland moved up to 4th after the UCI-ranked event in Belfast.
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McGarr moved up as high as 8th in the junior world rankings after his recent win in Belfast (Photo: Toby Watson)
“This ranking does wonders for our gridding at the World Championships,” said the off-road commission, which is run by volunteers.
“Junior Adam McGarr sits an incredible 8th in the world with Belfast’s Lee Harvey in 12th, another brilliant achievement. Ciaran Dixon, a first-year junior, sits 19th and Donal Walsh is 29th.”
And the gains have also been made by the elite and U23 Irish women.
“Maria Larkin, winner in Belfast, jumps 50 places to 121st in world, with Michelle Geoghegan 144th,” the commission said.
“Lara Gillespie, despite still being junior, breaks the top 100 in the world’s elites to sit 99th.”
In the joint junior-U23 women’s category Ireland is now 9th in the world. In the elite women’s category Ireland is 19th of 31 countries.
The Irish U23 men rise to 19th nation among the 28 to have scored points.
Winner of the men’s race in Belfast, David Conroy (Scott-Eurocycles), is now 128th in the elite men’s individual word rankings.
National cyclocross champion Darnell Moore (Caldwell Cycles) is in 130th place.
“All this is achieved on a high performance budget of only €2,500 per year; minimal in terms of other disciplines such as road, track and BMX,” the off-road commission said.
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