Nine young Irish cyclists - who have performed across road, cyclocross and MTB - have been named by Cycling Ireland for the 'Athlete Development Programme (ADP) for 2024.
The riders who have secured places on the programme will now receive a range of supports from the national governing body with a view to developing their abilities as they progress through the sport.
The programme is now in its fifth year and was open to riders across all disciplines of cycling. It is a separate process to Irish team selection, but is a big development boost for those involved, who are now firmly in the mix in compete for Ireland next season.
The riders selected are: Aliyah Rafferty, Greta Lawless, Mya Doocey, Rhiannon Dolan, Seth Dunwoody, Conor Murphy, Philip O'Connor, Sam Coleman and Conor Prendergast.
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After high interest in the programme, a shortlist of applicants took part in an assessment day at the Sport Ireland Institute in Dublin on October 28th, leading to the final selection being confirmed this week.
Michael Black, Cycling Ireland high performance development coach, said this year saw a significant increase in the "volume and quality" of the applicants.
"This is no surprise, as junior racing across all cycling disciplines has been as competitive as it has ever been," he said. "As a result, it's very difficult to select a small cohort of riders to take forward to the ADP.
"As part of the overall junior development programme, we want to ensure we can identify, develop and transition potential high-performance cyclists into the Cycling Ireland’s high-performance programme. To achieve this, we need to consistently support a talent development environment underpinned by clear understanding of the needs of the athlete at each stage of the performance pathway.
"This looks different for every athlete and is a long term commitment, where athletes need time to improve and grow. The programme will try to create as many opportunities as possible for riders to develop, support their individual needs, and prepare young athletes to better transition to elite U23 and senior competition."
