The Northern Ireland cycling team for the Commonwealth Games in August has been named, with eight riders selected across the disciplines of road, MTB and track. There are three female riders and five male.
While the Commonwealth Games Northern Ireland council has not specified which events each rider will compete it, the squad members will ride in their own specialist disciplines before joining a bigger road race effort.
Lydia Boylan (Qromia Women’s Cycling Team), controversially not selected for the Olympic Games, is back in the mix internationally as she is selected for the Games in Birmingham. The dual track and road international placed 9th at the recent National Road Race Championships, underlining her return towards the top level.
Alice Sharpe (IBCT), another road and track international is also selected. Sharpe won the women’s road race at the Nationals last Saturday in Kanturk and also took a recent bronze in the Madison, with Mia Griffin, at the UCI Nations Cup in Canada.
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Joanna Patterson (Independent Pedaler-Nopinz), last year’s national TT champion and this year’s silver medal winner, is also in the team and is a definite to compete in the TT, which is her specialist event.
In the men’s team, JB Murphy, Matt Teggart and Darren Rafferty make for a very impressive trio. Murphy (EvoPro Racing) claimed bronze in the scratch race at the elite European Track Championships last season and may ride both the track and road race in Birmingham.
Teggart and Rafferty are both riding for Continental teams year; Teggart with WiV SunGod and Rafferty with Hagens Berman Axeon. Teggart is the most experienced member of the men’s team and is a medal candidate in Birmingham in the road race.
Rafferty is a first-year U23 rider and while he is just 18-years-old he can surprise at the Games. Last weekend he won the U23 TT at the Nationals and was 5th in the U23-elite road race. He has ridden very well in European over the last two seasons; highlights including 4th in the junior TT at the Europeans last year and victory this year in the U23 Strade Bianche di Romagna (1.2U).
Cameron Orr (Team Inspired) and Chris McGlinchey (Spectra Wiggle p/b Vitus) are also both picked and are expected to compete in the MTB event in Birmingham. This will be Orr’s second Games and McGlinchey’s first and both may also ride the road race, though MTB will be their priority.
NI Commonwealth Games | Cycling Team
- Lydia Boylan Qromia Women’s Cycling Team
- Joanna Patterson Independent Pedaler-Nopinz
- Alice Sharpe IBCT
- Matt Teggart Wiv SunGod
- Darren Rafferty Hagens Berman Axeon
- JB Murphy EvoPro Racing
- Cameron Orr Team Inspire
- Chris McGlinchey Spectra Wiggle p/b Vitus
