Ulster Cycling News
16Jan/120

Ulster Riders on Irish Paracycling Track World Championship Squad

Cycling Ulster are delighted to see Andy Fitzgerald on the Irish Paracycling Squad for the Track World Championships. Brian Nugent and Gerry Beggs from Ulster will also be accompanying the squad. Cycling Ulster would like to wish the whole squad the best of luck in  the Championships. For the full press release see below.

Cycling Ireland today announced the Paracycling Squad selected to travel to the 2012 UCI Paracycling Track World Championships that will take place in Los Angeles from the 9th to the 12th of February. The squad will include Colin Lynch current Road Time Trial World Champion who will compete in the C2 1km Time Trial and 3km Individual Pursuit.  He will also compete in the Team Sprint competition.

Cathal Miller is selected for the C5 1km Time Trial and 4km Individual Pursuit and also will compete in the Team Sprint. Enda Smyth has been selected for the C3 1km Time Trial and 3km Individual Pursuit and makes up the 3rd position for the Team Sprint.

Current Track World Champion Bronze Medal holders in the Female Tandem Pursuit category Catherine Walsh and Francine Meehan will be hoping to get back on the World Championship Podium in LA having been selected to compete in the 1km Time Trial and 3km Individual Pursuit.  A decision will be taken later on whether they will participate in the Sprint Competition which is being held for Female Tandems for the first time in LA.

The will be joined in the Female Tandem category by Katie-George Dunlevy and Pilot Sandra Fitzgerald in both the 1km Time Trial and 3km Individual Pursuit competitions.  These girls have shown great promise during recent track training camps where they successfully met the Cycling Ireland Selection Criteria for the Championships.

Two Male Tandems will also represent Ireland in LA.  James Brown will be piloted by Damien Shaw and Andrew Fitzgerald will be piloted by Con Collis.  Both tandems will compete in the 1km Time Trial and 4km Individual Pursuit competitions.

Speaking after the announcement Irish Paracycling Manager Denis Toomey expressed high hopes for starting the year with more World Championship Medals for Ireland. “Following two very tough 10 day camps based at the Palma Arena Velodrome in Mallorca, all the squad successfully met the selection criteria and are certainly on target to produce PB results in LA.  They were in very good company in Mallorca sharing the track with Fabian Cancellara World TT Champion and training on the road alongside Mark Cavendish, Road Race World Champion and his new Sky Team.

As this is the last competition where Country Ranking Points can be accrued towards London Paralympic Games qualification, pressure will be on everyone to perform to their best.  Results will firstly help to secure maximum Ireland slots for London and secondly will determine which athletes will be awarded these slots, so there is great pressure on all the squad to try and write their ticket to London.”

The support staff travelling to LA include:-
Denis Toomey – Manager
Brian Nugent – Coach
Gerry Beggs – Mechanic
Paddy Davis – Assistant Mechanic
Fionnuala Kirby – Masseuse
Alan Swanton – Performance Analysis

The team travel out on the 30th of January for their final training camp before competitions begin on the 9th of February.

You can follow the results at www.paracyclingla2012.com

Posted by Marian Lamb

 

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