Cycling Ireland
has named five riders for a round of track racing in Hong Kong, New Zealand and
Australia over the next fortnight as the Irish team continues to chase Olympic
qualification points.
Two of the riders
– Lydia Boylan and Lydia Gurley – have delivered Ireland to 13th in the UCI
nations’ Madison rankings, with 16 nations to qualify for the Olympics.
In the men’s
madison event Mark Downey and Felix English are chasing ranking points at a
time when Ireland is 18th in the rankings, with 16 nations to qualify.
Both pairings will race in the madison at the UCI World Cup in Hong Kong, from tomorrow to December 1st.
In the men’s and
women’s Olympic qualification process, eight of the places are allocated to the
nations who fill the top eight placings in the team pursuit rankings and the
other eight places are awarded on the basis of the madison standings.
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Based on the
women’s rankings for both events at present; when the top eight nations in the
team pursuit are stripped out of the madison rankings, Ireland are 10th in the
madison rankings with eight teams to qualify.
Based on the
men’s team pursuit and madison rankings at present; when the top eight nations
in the team pursuit are stripped out of the madison rankings, Ireland are 12th
in the madison rankings with eight teams to qualify.
It means the
Irish are in with a real chance in the madison, but they need points
consistently now.
Joining the madison
riders for the Hong Kong World Cup, in what is a small Irish team of just five
riders, is former Team GB track international Emily Kay.
She made her Irish debut in the team pursuit in Minsk a month ago after switching her allegiances to Ireland.
Following the
racing in Hong Kong the riders, and Cycling Ireland staff and coaches, will
travel to the next world cups in New Zealand and Australia.
The racing in New
Zealand unfolds in Cambridge next week before the circus moves on to Brisbane
Australia for the third meeting in three weeks.
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