Irish squad for UCI Para Worlds in LA train with Cav and Cancellara

Catherine Walsh and Fran Meehan with Mark Cavendish

The Irish team for the UCI Paracycling Track World Championships in Los Angeles has been named after a final training camp in Palma where they rubbed shoulders with Mark Cavendish and Fabian Cancellara.

With the inclusion in the team of a number of medallists from previous championships and the reigning road TT world champion Colin Lynch, manager Dennis Toomey said he expects to take medals home from the US.

"Following two very tough ten-day camps based at the Palma Arena velodrome in Mallorca, all the squad successfully met the selection criteria and are certainly on target to produce personal best results in LA,” he said.

“They were in very good company in Mallorca sharing the track with Fabian Cancellara and training on the road alongside Mark Cavendish and his new Sky Team.”

Toomey said the championships in LA – from February 9^th to 11^th – represented the last opportunity for the Irish riders to gain points towards qualifying for the London 2012 Paralympics, a factor that would bring pressure.

“Results will firstly help to secure maximum slots for Ireland for London and secondly will determine which athletes will be awarded these slots. So there is great pressure on all the squad to try and write their ticket to London."

The team includes current road TT world champion Colin Lynch. He will take in a number of events in LA including the C2 1km TT and 3km individual pursuit as well as the team sprint.

Cathal Miller is selected for the C5 1km TT, the 4km individual pursuit and the team sprint.

Enda Smyth rides the C3 1km TT and 3km individual pursuit. He also completes the team sprint three-man line up.

Current track Worlds bronze medal holders in the female tandem pursuit, Catherine Walsh and pilot Francine Meehan have been selected to compete in the 1km TT and 3km individual pursuit.

The duo may also compete in the inaugural women’s tandem sprint in LA but that decision will not be made until the championships get underway.

Walsh and Meehan are being joined by a second female tandem team in the shape of Katie-George Dunlevy and pilot Sandra Fitzgerald. They will ride both the 1km TT and the 3km individual pursuit.

Toomey said the duo had been included after their progress during the recent training camps meant their times improved to meet Cycling Ireland’s selection criteria.

In the male tandem events, Ireland will have two teams in LA; James Brown will be piloted by Damien Shaw and Andrew Fitzgerald will be piloted by Con Collis. Both tandems will ride the 1km TT and 4km individual pursuit.