Irish team with medals on their mind named for World Champs
Lydia Gurley already has a bronze medal at World Cup level under her belt. She is just one rider in the Irish line-up with major results of late.
An Irish team has been selected for the World Track Championships that will carry more hopes of medals than at any time in the past.
Martyn Irvine became a heroic figure in Minsk four years ago taking silver and gold one after the other on the same afternoon.
And he would follow that up with another silver 12 months later. But he was very much on his own carrying the hopes of the Irish at that time.
That cannot be said for the team selected for imminent Worlds in Honk Kong. It is no exaggeration to say that this is a line-up with an embarrassment of riches under the bonnet.
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They go into the championships with some fantastic recent results and mentally on the up as a group.
And while delivering of expectations is difficult and the Worlds is a bigger stage than the meetings where the medals have come of late, these riders have a great chance.
Lydia Boylan winning the final stage of the 2.2-ranked Setmana Ciclista Valenciana in Spain (Photo: Bart Hazen)
In the line-up are Mark Downey, Felix English, Lydia Boylan, Anna Turvey, Lydia Gurley and Shannon McCurley.
Downey and English won gold in the madison at the World Cup in LA last month and they ride that event again in Hong Kong.
And at the previous UCI World Cup, in Cali in mid February, he won points race gold. He had also claimed the same event at the World Cup in Apeldoorn, last November.
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As well as his gold in LA with Downey, English has also ridden very well in the individual events. He has come close to medals on several occasions, taking five 4th places at major competitions.
Having returned to the international track fold just over a year ago he was immediately 4th at a World Cup in Hong Kong in the scratch race.
And he was 5th in the same event at the European Championships in Paris last year as was 4th in the scratch race at the UCI World Cup in Apeldoorn.
Felix English, right, has made the transition from the UK pro crit scene back to track racing.
During last summer Shannon McCurley rode for Ireland at the Rio Olympics; the only Irish track rider to qualify and the first Irish woman ever to qualify for a Games.
Anna Turvey took bronze at the European Championships last year and Lydia Gurley took bronze in the scratch race at the World Cup in Cali last year.
Both go into this Worlds with a real chance. And last but not least, Boylan has just taken the biggest result by an Irish woman ever on the road.
She claimed the final stage of the Setmana Ciclista Valenciana, a UCI 2.2 ranked race just three weeks ago.
Schedule for the Irish
The World Track Championships get underway next Wednesday week, April 12th, and run for five days.
First up for the men and women in green is the is the women’s scratch race on the opening day of competition. At this stage it is not yet confirmed which of the Irish will contest it.
The following day Felix English goes in the scratch race. On Friday, April 14th, Lydia Boylan goes in the omnium and Mark Downey in the points race.
On Saturday, April 15th, Anna Turvey contests the individual pursuit and Boylan and Gurley ride the madison.
On the final day of the meeting Shannon McCurley rides the keirin, Gurley the points race and English and Downey the madison.
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