The Irish senior team was in action at the UCI World Cup in Hong Kong while a four-rider Irish junior team was racing in Belgium (Photo: Alex Whitehead-SWpix.com)
The Irish senior track team has had a challenging outing at the UCI Track World Cup in Hong Kong, which was unfortunately hampered by some injury issues. An Irish junior team was also in action, in Belgium, with several top 10s and Emer Heverin making her mark in the omnium.
The senior selection for Hong Kong was comprised of young riders still gaining experience towards competing on the international stage. In that sense, it was a valuable learning experience even if the results were not those hoped for.
In the team pursuit, Cycling Ireland said team member Aoife O’Brien was nursing injuries sustained on the road before setting out for China.
And though she was scheduled to travel on with the team to Malaysia for the next track World Cup in coming days, she has returned home for treatment instead.
O’Brien was part of a youthful team pursuit line-up in Hong Kong along with Emma Jeffers, Erin Creighton and Esther Wong. They were 11th in the 12-team field, in a time of 4:31.042. With eight to progress to the next round, the Irish involvement ended after qualification.
Jeffers then went on to compete in the four-race omnium, after coming through the qualifier. She finished 21st of the 23 starters.
Wong was in action in the elimination race, getting through qualifying and then going on to finish 17th of the 23-rider field in the final.
In the madison, Jeffers and Creighton joined forces and finished 13th of the 18 teams in the race, losing two laps – as much of the field did – to winners France.
Over the weekend an Irish junior team was also in action at the International Belgian Track Meeting in Ghent, with Emer Heverin, Elliott McKeegan, George Sevastopulo and James Logue in action.
In the 20-rider men’s points race, Sevastopulo was 6th and Logue finished in 9th while McKeegan was 16th in the omnium, of 23 riders. Ireland finished 7th of 18 teams in the madison, with McKeegan and Sevastopulo in action.
In the junior women’s omnium, Heverin was 12th, from a 24-rider field, after the four races. In the concluding points race she won a sprint, and was among seven riders to gain a lap.
Team Pursuit | Hong Kong World Cup
