Glenn Kinning feels the pinch on a deep section of sand during Sunday's UCI World Cup in Koksijde, Belgium (Photo: Martine Verfaillie)
By Brian Canty
Glenn Kinning has called on Cycling Ireland to help support an Irish team to compete in the World Cyclocross Championships in Belgium in January.
The Kinning Cycles man raced Sunday’s Koksijde World Cup in Belgium and though he was lapped by the winners, he performed admirably, as did David Montgomery in the U23 race and David Conroy in the junior event.
And Kinning believes combined elite and U23 national champion Montgomery should “definitely” be given financial assistance to go to the World Championships, along with others.
“If it’s possible, yes, it’d be great to get some backing from the federation,” he said when asked if Cycling Ireland should help ensure Irish representation at the Worlds.
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“Guys can chip in themselves and work together as well, it’s not a lot we’d need," he added.
“Anything would be a help; €500 would take us a long way. There are three riders that I know of willing to go; myself, Montgomery and Conroy.
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“(Montgomery) was here this weekend in the U23 race, Conroy was in the junior race but none of us received any support. I didn’t even get to see the guys this weekend.”
Kinning said the cost of travelling to an event like that on Sunday in Belgium involved approximately €600 for transport and accommodation combined, along with additional expenses associated with being away from home for a number of days.
He is now urging Cycling Ireland to lend some support to assist the riders in getting to the Worlds.
Many in Irish cycling take the view that if even a small number of riders were assisted to compete in the championships each year it would help develop the domestic cyclocross scene enormously.
However, when a head of pressure built up last year to send a team, Cycling Ireland said it did not believe the standard was high enough at home.
The World Cyclocross Championships take place in Zolder, Belgium, on the last weekend of January.
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