Cycling Ireland has announced a four-rider team to represent Ireland at the upcoming UCI Cycling eSports World Championships. The world title races will be fought out on February 18th.
Two senior men and two senior women will represent Ireland in the races, which will take place on the Zwift platform. The Worlds will be run over what Cycling Ireland called "three short and explosive events" - The Punch, The Climb and The Podium - on three different routes for the male and female riders.
National road race championships medal winner from two years ago, Linda Kelly (Barrow Wheelers), is selected and is no stranger to the green of Ireland. She medaled at the Paracycling Road Worlds last year as tandem pilot to Josephine Healion. Kelly will be joined by Heather Foley, who has represented Ireland before but has focused on triathlon and eRacing of late. The Yeats Country CC rider won silver in the Masters women's race at the National Cyclocross Championships in Co Louth yesterday.
Advertisement
Related News
Chris Dawson, the national men's eRacing champion, is selected for the men's race. He has already represented Ireland at an eSports Worlds and has just founded his own team, Dawson Racing. He is joined in the Team Ireland men's team by Richard Barry; a top cyclocross and eRacing rider with St Finbarr's Cycling Club.
Cycling Ireland performance coach, Tommy Evans, said he was delighted such a strong team had been selected for the Worlds next month.
"The new format will make for exciting racing throughout and we're confident that the riders selected can be competitive at this high level," Evans said. "Chris Dawson and Richard Barry are the highest ranked male riders in Ireland.
"Linda Kelly has performed strongly on the road in recent seasons and her online races confirmed the qualities necessary for the Zwift platform while Heather Foley has a proven track record in virtual races in recent years."
