The first Irish road team of the 2018 season has been named, and its in the U16 category. Five riders are bound for the Youth Tour of Scotland next month; to ride the girls' race there. Above, Ciara Doogan winning a stage with the Neenan Travel Talent Team 2020 at the Youth Tour of Scotland in 2014.
Irish team for U16 Youth Tour of Scotland 2018
An U16 team has been named to represent Ireland at the Youth Tour of Scotland next month.
The racing takes place between April 6th and 9th based around the Perth region of East Scotland.
It involves a team TT, individual TT, flat road stage and undulating road stage.
Cycling Ireland’s youth commission has decided to use the results from the U15 national championships last year to pick the team.
Four riders have been selected and a fifth will travel as reserve.
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They are Caoimhe O’Brien (Lakeside Wheelers), Lucy O’Donnell (O’Leary Stone Kanturk), Eva Brennan (Deenside Wheelers), Aoibhe Power (Dungarvan CC) and reserve Ella Doherty (Ennis Tri Club).
The team has been named before any racing has been contested this year.
However, Cycling Ireland said the race organisers required teams to be named and entered before February 26th.
It meant the national governing body had no option but to enter a team before any racing had taken place at home.
Ideally Cycling Ireland wanted to use the upcoming Rás Maigh Eo as a selection race. But because the cut off date for entries was so early, that was not possible.
And while it was hoped a second team could also be sent, the maximum field size was reached very quickly. It meant a total of 10 teams were turned down.
“The closing date for the complete team names to be submitted to the event organiser was the 26th February, with no exceptions,” Cycling Ireland said announcing the team.
“The rationale behind sending a team of second year U16s to the events was to give more opportunity to girls moving into the junior ranks; giving them experience of riding in bigger bunches with their peers.
“It was hoped that a second team of U16s would also be entered, but due to the maximum field size being reached, this was not accepted - over ten teams were turned down.”
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