Ryan Mullen is the youngest of a strong Irish team at the U23 European Championships that will be in action in the Czech Republic on Friday and Sunday.
By Brian Canty
Ireland will have a four-man team at the U23 European Road Race Championships in the Czech Republic on Sunday featuring Conor Dunne, Ryan Mullen, Jack Wilson and Stephen Clancy.
The team will be managed by Kurt Bogaerts – best known for his role as manager of the An Post-Chainreaction team. Irish high performance head coach Brian Nugent will also assist.
The team is a strong – if youthful – one with Mullen just out of the junior ranks and Clancy and Wilson in their second season at this level.
Wilson is enjoying his debut season with the An Post-Chainreaction team and having taken the U23 National Road Race title last month he appears to be in good form.
Advertisement
Mullen, riding for the IG-Sigma Sport team is having a phenomenal season, having won two bronze medals at the U23 European Track Championships last week to add to the U23 National TT Championship gold he won last month.
Related News
He has an enormous engine and has already been placed in premier Calendar races in the UK.
Dunne has been based in Belgium for a couple of years now and is having a superb season, the highlight of which was his stage win on the opening day of the Rás, while Stephen Clancy has the distinction of being the only rider at Pro Continental level.
The Limerick rider is with the US-based Team Novo Nordisk and has already ridden some of the big stage races this year over there, such as the Tour of the Gila.
He rode Bayern-Rundfahrt in Germany some weeks ago where he lined up against many Pro Tour riders so he won’t be short of confidence or experience.
The other riders who were in contention for selection included Javan Nulty, Cormac Clarke, Daniel Stewart, Conor McIlwaine, Eoin McCarthy and Felix English; all of whom are currently on a racing and training trip with the international set-up based in Belgium.
Before the road race on Sunday, Dunne and Mullen will be in action in the TT at the Euros tomorrow, Friday.
Topics
