Small Irish team set for World Track Champs with "bespoke approach"

Mia Griffin is one third of the Irish team set to take on the UCI World Track Championships in Denmark later today

The Irish team selected for the UCI World Track Championships in Denmark may be small, but it's a very strong one with medal chances, in coming days and into the future.

And with the team pursuit not forming the basis of this selection, it gives the riders a chance to focus on other events in a bid to test themselves against the best in the world and hopefully take a medal.

Given her form of late, and rate of progress this season, Lara Gillespie is Ireland's best chance to take a medal away from these worlds in Ballerup.

However, Mia Griffin has also had a very strong second half of the season, after recovering from a bad crash. Lucy Bénézet Minns completes the team and, having already won a European junior title on the track this season, it will be interesting to see what she can do.

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Realistically, this will be a big step up for Bénézet Minns, though Cycling Ireland is clearly keen to invest in her for the future and so she has been bumped up into the team for these Worlds even though she is still a junior.

Gillespie gets things underway this evening for the Irish team when she takes on the elimination race, before competing in the omnium tomorrow, when she is a genuine medal hope.

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Many of the best track and road riders in the world are taking on these championships - including the likes of Lotte Kopecky and Lorena Wiebes, Jennifer Valente and Ally Wollaston.

And that means Gillespie will have her work cut out to get a medal, though making a podium at this level is the next step for her and there's no time like the present.

On Saturday, Bénézet Minns takes on the individual pursuit while Gillespie and Griffin team up for the madison. The Irish campaign concludes on Sunday when Gillespie competes in the points race.

Cycling Ireland high performance director, Iain Dyer, said the team was really looking forward to getting into action in Denmark.

"Without the regular focus on the Team Pursuit we have been able to create a more bespoke approach for each rider in recent weeks," he said.

"A post-Olympics World Champs always brings unique challenges but with that some opportunities too, so it will be interesting to see how that pays off.”

Worlds | Irish in action