There was no doubting the stars of the show for Ireland at the UCI Nations Cup in Milton, Canada, over the weekend; Mia Griffin and Alice Sharpe taking a bronze medal in the Madison in what was a stacked field.
It was an important achievement for the two women on several levels, especially as the Madison looks set to be a crucial event for Ireland in the Olympic qualification campaign towards Paris 2024.
Sharpe (28) and Griffin (23) are also relatively new to the event as a pairing. Indeed, this was their first Nations Cup as a Madison duo. They were also part of the first Irish team to race abroad under new Cycling Ireland high performance director Iain Dyer, with their medal a positive start to his time in charge.
Griffin's and Sharpe's medal-winning performance will also secure all-important Sport Ireland funding again next year. Their team mate Emily Kay also secured another season of funding with her impressive performance in the omnium. Orla Walsh's new Irish record in the 500m TT added to what was a productive trip to Canada for the Irish, especially as many of the races were so competitive.
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While the 10-team Madison race attracted a smaller field than at the Nations Cup opening round in Glasgow last month – where 18 teams took part – Sunday's race in Milton was packed with talent; with Ireland among three nations who lapped the field.
Winners Italy were represented by five-time European champion and three-time world champion on the track, Chiara Consonni, riding with Elisa Balsamo; the reigning road race world champion.
The Australian paring that took silver was comprised of BikeExchange-Jayco rider, and two-time elite world champion on the track, Alexandra Manly, along with Chloe Moran, a junior worlds medalist.
Japan, who finished 4th in the Madison, were represented by Yumi Kajihara, the silver medalist in the omnium at the Olympics last year, and Tsuyaka Uchino, the junior world champion in the points race from 2019.
While taking a Nations Cup medal in any event, and against any field of rivals, is a major career achievement, Griffin and Sharpe went elbow to elbow with some of the stars of the sport and delivered the goods in their first proper Madison outing in the green of Ireland.
Irish in Milton | Event by event
Orla Walsh, sprint
Orla Walsh got the meeting open for Ireland on Friday in the sprint qualifiers - an Olympic event - where she recorded a time of 11.102 over the 200m distance. That was a new personal best for the 32-year-old and placed her 22nd of the 27-rider field.
Kelsey Mitchell – the Canadian rider who won sprint gold at the Olympics - recorded a time of 10.374 in qualifying. That was fastest of a field, which included 10 of the 30 riders who competed in the sprint in Tokyo last year.
As 28 riders qualify for the second round in the sprint competitions at Nations Cups – where fields are regularly over 40 riders – all 27 starters in Milton went through to the next round. Walsh was beaten in that 1/16 round by Japan’s Riyu Ohta, ending the Irish woman's involvement in the competition.
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Mia Griffin, scratch race
Also last Friday, Griffin rode the scratch race, which is not an Olympic event, and finished 13th of the 22-rider field. The gold medal was won by reigning scratch race world champion, Martina Fidanza of Italy.
SD Worx Dutch rider Lonneke Uneken was 2nd and placing 3rd was Lily Williams, who was part of American’s bronze-medal winning team pursuit line-up at the Olympics last year.
Alice Sharpe, elimination race
Ireland’s Sharpe rode the elimination race, which is not an Olympic event, on Friday night and finished 9th in the 18-rider field. The race was won by Jennifer Valente, the American who won gold in the omnium in Tokyo and bronze in the team pursuit.
Italy’s Silvia Zanardi, a two-time world champion, was 2nd and British omnium champion, and former junior Madison European champion, Sophie Lewis was 3rd.
Emily Kay, omnium
Emily Kay – the only Irish rider competing in Milton who represented Ireland in Tokyo last year – raced the omnium on Saturday and put in a strong performance, in what is an Olympic event. She placed 8th of the very competitive 23-rider field.
Kay (26) took 16th in the scratch race, 7th in the tempo race, 6th in the elimination race and 2nd in the points race. The omnium was won by Italian Balsamo from American Valente; the world road race champion getting the better of the Olympic omnium champion. Australian Manly claimed 3rd while Olympic omnium silver medal winner Kajihara of Japan was 4th.
Ireland’s Kay finished on 81 points, with riders 5th through to 8th packed tight in the final standings and separated by just seven points. A slightly better start to the four-race event would have moved Kay right up the final standings, though she can still be happy with her result.
Orla Walsh, 500m TT & Keirin
Walsh was also back in action again on Saturday and Sunday in two different events; the qualifying round of the 500m TT and the heats of the keirin.
In the 500m TT, which is not an Olympic event, Australian Kristina Clonan was quickest in a time of 32.911. Walsh was 12th of the 20-rider field, at 1.947 seconds. That time of 34.858 broke her own Irish record, of 35.103; a step in the right direction under high pressure conditions. However, as the top eight riders qualified for the next round, Walsh took no further part in the competition.
Walsh then concluded her campaign in Milton on Sunday in the keirin - an Olympic event. The 27-rider field was split into four heats; three with seven riders and one with six. Walsh went in ‘Heat 2’ and was 7th, meaning she did not go through to the next round. Her heat was won by Colombian Martha Bayona from Australian Clonan, with those two riders taking the two qualification places available in that heat.
