Ireland's only elite female rider selected for the World Championships, Olivia Dillon has withdrawn from the Irish team in Spain.
The only elite female rider in the Irish line-up at the World Road Championships this week, Olivia Dillon has decided to withdraw from the team.
The US-based pro has been in Ireland of late, where she rode the An Post Rás na mBan the week before last and competed in the national road race championships in Westmeath on Saturday.
While she won a stage in Rás na mBan and was 6th overall, she perhaps did not make the impact on the race that Irish fans have come to expect from a rider of her calibre.
However, she was perhaps a victim of the failure of the race to break up significantly as it has always done, likely due to the improving standard of the international teams the event is now attracting.
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Dillon then finished second to Fiona Meade (Blarney CC) in the championships in Westmeath at the weekend. And while that result suggested her form was holding up well for the end of season date with the World Championships, she has now indicated that was not the case.
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“After a great deal of consideration and thought, I have decided not to participate in this year’s road World Championships,” she said.
“After having raced a very long and exhausting season, I feel it is time to take a much needed rest. I want to thank Cycling Ireland for selecting me and I look forward to racing next season and targeting Richmond 2015.”
Dillon made her remarks in a statement issued to the media by Cycling Ireland. News of her withdrawal and the quotes confirming it were included in a press release issued to mark Ryan Mullen’s silver-medal winning ride in the U23 time trial in Spain today.
Dillon was the only Irish rider selected for the elite women’s road race on Saturday. And with no women selected for the elite time trial tomorrow, it means junior rider Josie Knight is now the only woman in the Irish line-up at the Worlds.
However, Dillon’s withdrawal does not mean she took a berth that could have gone to another rider. It was open to Cycling Ireland to pick a full team for the women’s road race, though they selected only Dillon.
And it was also open to the federation to select two riders for the elite women’s time trial, though they decided not to fill either of the places.
Dillon wins stage 5 of An Post Rás na mBan into Ballyvaughan the week before last (Photo: Lorraine O'Sullivan)
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