A young Irish national team has been named for Rás Tailteann next month, with the selection comprised exclusively of U23 riders, including a mix of those racing at home and abroad.
Though some of the riders have been regularly competing for Ireland in recent years, including to World Championships level, others are getting their first call-up to Team Ireland senior selection.
Jamie Meehan (21) makes the grade having shown very impressive form this year, built of several seasons of seamless progression. He is one of only two UCI Continental riders in this team - competing with AVC Aix en Provence Dole this season - and will go into the five-stage race as a serious prospect for the team.
Dean Harvey (22), the reigning Irish U23 road race champion, was unlucky not to win Rás Mumhan two years ago and with an additional two seasons in his legs, he will go to Rás Tailteann also wanting to win overall, and capable of doing so.
Advertisement
Sam Coleman (19) may be the youngest on the team, but he is riding this year for the Israel Premier Tech Development team. He has already been exposed to challenging pro racing, at Tour du Rwanda (2.1) and Volta ao Alentejo (2.2), and will fancy himself for success on home roads next month.
Related News
Though Coleman has ridden for Ireland before, as a junior, this is his first senior national team, and the same can be said of other two selected; Con Scully and Ruairi Byrne. Based on the domestic scene, and both currently studying in university, they are deservedly included after stepping up a notch this season.
Scully (Dan-Morrisey Pissei) won the Bobby Power Memorial in Carrick on St Patrick's Day and was also 2nd at the recent Des Hanlon, as well as generally being one of the strongest on the home scene this year.
Byrne's season has mirrored that of Scully's; a lot of potential now crystallising into success on the home scene. The Seamus Kenney Memorial and Des Hanlon Memorial are among his victories so far this season.
Meehan and Harvey are perhaps this team's best bet of winning the race outright, as Dillon Corkery did two years ago while representing Ireland. However, any one of these riders is good enough for a stage win and the team will make a formidable unit if one of its number could take the yellow jersey.
The 70th edition of the Rás Tailteann gets underway on Wednesday, May 21st, from Drogheda, Co Louth. The race will cover 760km across five stages.
