First Irish junior squad of 2019 selected for training camp in Spain | Sticky Bottle

Eleven riders were selected for invitation to the Irish junior team pre-season training camp in southern Spain. There were some riders from last year's U16 ranks and those who raced, and won, as juniors last year. Above, Will Ryan wins the Laragh Classic 2018 (Photo: Mat Rainer)

The road racing season may still be another week away but some of the best juniors in the country have already been on international duty.

A total of 11 juniors were named for a week-long Irish junior squad training camp in southern Spain.

Cycling Ireland took advantage of the mid-term break at home to take the juniors away without interfering with their schooling.

And under the watchful eyes of Martin O’Loughlin and Neil Martin the Irish teenagers did almost 800km during their warm weather week based in Alicante.

While the selection is a very strong indication of who will be in the first Irish junior teams of the year, others can break into the set-up during the 2019 campaign.

And with some of last year’s crop now progressing to the U23 ranks and the U16s from last season coming up to junior level, there are a number of new names in the green jerseys of the junior team.

Will and Archie Ryan, who both rode very well as juniors last year, were among the group selected for the training camping.

Archie Ryan (Zappi Racing) won the Tumble Mountain stage of the Junior Tour of Wales last year and was 3^rd overall. Will Ryan (Nicolas Roche PT) took a great victory in the Laragh Classic last season.

Top down; Shay Donley and Kevin McCambridge (Photos by Shea Gribbon and Conor McKeown)

Also selected for the Irish team camp over the past week were Shay Donley (Zappi Racing), Mark Smith (Ciclotel Travel fueled by YPB), Aaron Wade (Nicolas Roche PT), Cathir Doyle (Powerhouse Sport) and Kevin McCambridge (Nicolas Roche PT).

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All five proved their talent on the roads last year and between them collected some great wins; Donley’s Junior Tour stage victory particularly eye-catching.

Indeed, Donley, Smith, Wade and Doyle were involved in the Irish set-up last year when first year juniors.

Another who is also on the rise and already has international racing experience in the bag is Sean Nolan. The Navan Road Club teenager was also picked for the camp.

In Irish kit last year, Matthew Devins is now in the junior team. And he's joined by Kanturk's Tom Moriarty, pictured by John Coleman.

Matthew Devins (Yeats Country Cycling Club) and Tom Moriarty (O’Leary Stone Kanturk) were both included in the training camp selection after outstanding U16 results last year.

David O’Sullivan (Ciclotel Travel fueled by YPB) also made the cut. As a Sports Room Racing rider last year he and Mark Smith were among the line-up that won the Irish elite team pursuit title at the National Track Championships.

Donley and Archie Ryan were unable to take their places on the camp as they had a prior training camp organised with their UK-based Zappi Racing squad.

Similarly, McCambridge was also absent as he had another camp with Cycle Sierra Nevada.

Nolan was also unable to attend as he is still recovering from crash at the World Cyclocross Championships four weeks ago when he broken bones in his hand.

The absence of some riders does not undermine their chances of being selected for upcoming races.

Indeed, it is not uncommon for some riders to be selected but prove unable to travel because of unavailability for a variety of reasons.

The absences meant seven of the 11 selected riders travelled while three of the others were in camp elsewhere.