Irish team with two World No 1 ranked riders goes into Euro Champs with high hopes

Eoin Mullen is part of a very strong, if small, Irish team going into the European Track Championships in Holland this weekend and will focus on the keirin and sprint (Photo: Guy Swarbrick)

The Irish team for the European Track Championships has been named, with Caroline Ryan, Martyn Irvine and Eoin Mullen to don the green of Ireland during the meeting in Holland which starts on Friday.

All three have made massive strides in recent years and given their CVs will be hoping to put in some big rides this coming weekend.

Mullen took his first international win at the Three Days of Aigle in Switzerland the weekend before last where he broke his personal best on the way to winning the sprint event.

Irvine heads into these championships as the reigning world scratch champion, the silver medallist in the individual pursuit from those same Worlds in Minsk just over six months ago and as the World No 1 in the pursuit and scratch in the UCI elite men’s track rankings.

Ryan has also medalled at a Worlds, in the scratch race two years ago, and is ranked No 1 pursuiter in the world in the UCI’s elite women’s track rankings.

Ireland has never sent a team to a major track championships with such a pedigree and all three riders will be looking to come away with something spectacular; Irvine and Ryan with a medal and Mullen with another breakthrough performance on his path to hopefully joining the very best in the world in the next few seasons.

Irvine will focus on the omnium – which involves six events over two days - and also the points race and Ryan will do the same. Mullen will take in the sprint and keirin.

The championships will unfold from Friday to Sunday on the velodrome in Apeldoorn.