Ironman Bryan McCrystal is back in cycling with a UCI Continental level team. One of the best cyclists in Ireland in his day, he has focussed on Ironman of late. But now he's back in the peloton (Photo: Jimmy McElroy)
Ironman star Bryan McCrystal back in cycling peloton
Having built a considerable reputation in both cycling and triathlon, Bryan McCrystal will be back in the peloton this year.
McCrystal has focussed on Ironman in recent times; taking a string of top results.
However, he has mixed Ironman and cycling at times over the last three years. And now he has signed for the new Continental team Holdsworth.
It will mostly race on the UK scene this year and has just had its Continental status confirmed by the UCI.
Louth man McCrystal joins a sizeable Irish contingent in the new outfit.
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Those already on board include Sean McKenna and Damien Shaw; both having come from An Post-Chainreaction.
Conn McDunphy has come into the team after riding with Dublin club Lucan CRC and GAC Raleigh last year.
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And McDunphy’s former team club mate Dermot Turlock joins up with him again in the new Holdsworth project.
New signing McCrystal has not only smashed the Irish Ironman record several times in recent years, he has also won the Irish duathlon title.
He is a former winner of Cycling Ireland’s National Road Series. Furthermore, he claimed the Des Hanlon and stage victory at Rás Mumhan; to mention just a few of his top results.
Bryan McCrystal also involved himself in several epic Rás breakaways; coming close to taking a stage more than once.
He came closest in 2016 when a two-man breakaway with fellow county rider Eoin Morton (UCD-FitzCycles) succeeded.
However, Morton beat him to the big prize and McCrystal had to be content with 2nd on the day. He was also runner up in the Rás climbers’ classification that year.
He was 4th in the elite men’s road race at the national championships in 2014; when Ryan Mullen took his first title.
The new team McCrystal has joined is effectively a revival of the Holdsworth pro cycling squad from the 1970s.
The best known rider in the line-up is UK veteran Russell Downing. And from the Isle of Man, Leon and Tom Mazzone will bring additional sprinting power.
They have raced in Ireland in recent years and both performed very well as Kerry Group Rás Mumhan last year.
Jake Womersley brings to four the number of Britons in the team. Italian Seid Lizde and German Bjorn Thurau bring a Continental dimension to the Irish-registered outfit.
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