The Irish U23 national road team will have a new rider vying for selection with news that South African-born Devin Shortt has declared for Ireland.
Now aged 20 years and having ridden with Caja Rural U23
outfit towards the end of the 2019 season, Shortt has competed in the colours
of South Africa in the past.
He rode for that country in the junior road race at the
World Championships in Doha, Qatar, in 2016 and in Bergen, Norway, the
following season.
He finished both Worlds races and was crowned South African junior road race champion in 2016, his fourth in a row, before taking silver in the event in 2017.
Shortt rode the Grand Prix Priessnitz Spa U23 Nations Cup race last year for South Africa. He rode the elite Tour of Good Hope (2.2) in South Africa this year, claiming 3rd and 4th on stages and 17th overall.
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Devin Shortt raced in the colours of Gragnano Sporting Club in Luca, Italy, in 2018 though had some injury issues, including breaking his collarbone.
After a break in South Africa last winter he moved to Spain
to race, competing in the Basque Country for the first part of the 2019
campaign.
In June of this year he secured a place with the Team Caja
Rural-Seguros RGA U23 outfit, which he will ride for again in 2020.
Shortt is from an Irish family stemming from his grandfather
who was in the RAF and was posted to South Africa where he made his life.
The 20-year-old told stickybottle he had changed his nationality
from South African to Irish earlier this year, adding during his stint with the
Caja Rural team he had ridden as an Irish rider.
He said he planned to come to Ireland this summer to ride
the National Road Race Championships.
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