Irish U23 and Junior team named by Cycling Ireland for European Champs

*Lara Gillespie is the name that jumps off the page but there is strength in depth in this Irish U23 and junior team bound for the European Track Championships in the Netherlands*

Cycling Ireland has named a 13-strong Irish team for the upcoming U23 and junior European Track Championships in the Netherlands later this month.

The selection is comprised of five U23 riders and eight juniors and one interesting, and very welcome, feature is the inclusion of a junior women’s team pursuit line-up.

It is the first time Ireland has ever had a junior female
pursuit team at a major championships and comes just weeks after our elite
women won the UCI World Cup team pursuit event in St Petersburg.

A team pursuit line-up has also been selected among the junior men’s group picked for the Euros, representing a step up in Ireland’s approach to the event.

*One to watch: There's little Erin Creighton can't do across the disciplines and she's made the team sheet for the European Track Championships (Photo: Sharon McFarland)*

The junior women’s selection is comprised of Erin
Creighton (McConvey Cycles), Caoimhe May (Quanta Scott Orwell), Katie Neill (TC
Racing) and Maia Simmons (Canyon Development).

And the junior men’s team is: Stefan Caulfield Dreier
(Killarney CC), Odhran Doogan (Caldwell Cycles Omagh), Niall McLoughlin (Covey
Wheelers) and Patrick O’Loughlin (Panduit Carrick Wheelers).

At U23 level, Lara Gillespie – a former European champion as a junior and multiple medal winner at both the junior Euros and Worlds – is selected to ride the omnium with national champion Gaby Homer.

Gillespie will also ride the points race and omnium while Homer will represent Ireland in the individual pursuit, elimination race and scratch race.

*Harvey Barnes has been making great progress in the sprint events on the track and he'll get his shot at the Europeans later this month (Photo: Caroline Kerley)*

In the U23 men’s category, the noted emerging sprinter Harvey
Barnes is named, as expected, for the sprint events in the Netherlands having
impressed in recent years.

Cian Keogh and Chris Donald also get the nod for the U23
team and they will combine to ride the madison event at the Euros. Keogh will
also ride the individual pursuit while Donald will take on the omnium.

Team Ireland for Euros

U23 Women

Lara Gillespie (Team Rupelcleaning), Gaby Homer (Team
Rupelcleaning)

U23 Men

Harvey Barnes (East Tyrone) Chris Donald (Spellman Dublin
Port), Cian Keogh (Spellman Dublin Port)

Junior Women

Erin Creighton (McConvey Cycles), Caoimhe May (Quanta
Scott Orwell), Katie Neill (TC Racing), Maia Simmons (Canyon Development)

Junior Men

Stefan Caulfield Dreier (Killarney CC), Odhran Doogan (Caldwell
Cycles Omagh), Niall McLoughlin (Covey Wheelers), Patrick O’Loughlin (Panduit
Carrick Wheelers)