Roche, McCann & Martin unveiled as Olympic team despite Brammeier appeal

Brammeier’s OCI appeal hearing is expected to go ahead this Saturday (Photo: Brendan Slattery)

The trio of Nicolas Roche, Dan Martin and David McCann have been officially unveiled by the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) as the road cycling contingent on the Irish Olympic team despite an ongoing appeal to the selection by Matt Brammeier.

Martyn Irvine has been rubber-stamped as Ireland’s only track rider, and will start the omnium very much in with a fighting chance of a medal.

Martin O’Loughlin has been confirmed as manager and Andy Sparks as track coach, while former rider Brian Kenneally is travelling to the Olympics as Ireland team mechanic.

In its main pre-London team launch, the OCI has outlined the full Irish team in all sports and has penned mini profiles on each athlete; with Roche, McCann and Martin now presented to the media and public as the road cyclists going to the Games.

This is despite the fact that an appeal by Brammeier, lodged nearly a fortnight ago, is still to be held by the OCI.

Stickybottle understands that appeal will go ahead this weekend and that news of the outcome will emerge shortly afterwards.

Brammeier believes he is among the strongest three riders in the country and should have been selected on the three-man road team, irrespective of falling short of a number of other eligible riders under Cycling Ireland’s Olympic points qualification criteria.

The OCI has the power to set aside those criteria and select Brammeier ahead of one of the three riders nominated for the Olympics by Cycling Ireland. However, the OCI could also fully back the Cycling Ireland selection process and reject Brammeier’s appeal.

Athletes who have taken their appeals to the OCI in the past have enjoyed mixed success, with some winning and others losing.

If Brammeier were to gain selection, the team line-up would simply be changed. It is not certain who would miss out.

Because the team going to London is an Olympic team, it is sent to the Games by the OCI and not the national bodies governing different sports.

The national bodies recommended to the OCI what athletes in their sport should go to London. However, in the case of a dispute over selection or an appeal by an athlete, it is the OCI that has the final word.

In the profiles unveiled on its website, here’s how the OCI profiled the Irish riders selected and the support team. They’re presented here in the order they appeared on the OCI site and in unedited version.

CYCLING

DAVID McCANN

Cycling – Men’s Road Race

David has been Irish national road race champion three times and national time trial champion six times. He is also a Commonwealth Games medallist and a Ras winner.

Now 39, his extensive professional career has seen the Belfast man gain several stage wins at the highest levels on world cycling circuit over the years. He competed for Ireland at the Sydney and Athens Olympics.

DANIEL MARTIN

NICOLAS ROCHE

Cycling – Men’s Road Race

Now 28, this superb pro was born in France and educated at Blackrock College, Dublin. He is the son of former Olympian, world champion and Tour de France winner, Stephen.

Nicolas turned pro in 2005 and is one of the most charismatic figures in Irish sport – gaining huge acclaim for his top ten performances on the world pro circuit and for his high profile media work. This is his second Olympics appearance.

MARTIN IRVINE

Irvine claimed his qualification slot for the London 2012 Olympics following a seventh place finish in the Omnium event at the Track World Championships at Melbourne.

Irvine rode consistently over the two days in the six-event Omnium with five top ten finishes ensuring a high overall finish.

The Track World Championships in Melbourne marks the end of a long qualification route for Irvine, which started in Poland in November 2010 and included twelve events in total.

Irvine, a native of Ards, in Co Dowm, completed in eleven of the twelve events during qualification, taking in China, Kazakhstan, Columbia and, more recently, the Olympic Velodrome at the London World Cup.

MARTIN O’LOUGHLIN

Cycling – Team Manager

Martin hails from cycling mad Carrick on Suir and has competed as an elite road cyclist and is a multiple national vet’s champion.

He was manager of Ireland’s Olympic cycling team in Athens and national team director from 2003/2005. A secondary school teacher, he is currently youth development coach for Cycling Ireland.