Road Commission Squads Announcement

The Track, Women’s and Road Commissions are charged by Cycling Ireland to assist the High Performance Director in the identification and preparation of riders that may become the next members of the High Performance Squad.  To ensure the maximum opportunity for every rider to present themselves the Commissions scheduled two training and evaluation camps for the winter period.  The first camp was held in Charleville in early December.  The second and final camp will be held on the weekend of the 23^rd and 24^th of January 2010 in Westport.

This second and final camp will help identify the riders from which the riders that may make up the following squads.

v     the Junior Road Squad (male and female),,

v     the Junior Track Squad, (male and female),

v     the Junior Development Road Squad (male and female),,

v     the Junior Development Track Squad, (male and female),

v     the male Development Road Squad for riders under 25 years of age,

v     the male Development Track Squad for riders under 25 years of age,

v     the female Development Road Squad for riders under 27 years of age,

v     the female Development Track Squad for riders under 27 years of age.

 The following are the details of the second and final training and evaluation camp.

Date:                                        23^rd & 24^th of January 2010

Location :                                 Clew Bay Hotel, Westport, Co. Mayo.

Accommodation:                      Two nights B+B and Dinner.

Cost:                                        €70.

Registration:                              By email to dan_curtin@oceanfree.net by the 15^th January 2010

Indoor cycling is an artistic form of cycling, similar to gymnastics, where the athlete performs a routine and the performance is judged. The sport is especially popular in Germany – where Ireland’s Alisa Fitzpatrick is a top performer. Read on for a report on her latest events.

On Saturday, both Alisa and Celina together with one other member from our club performed in the Wormser Kunstradsport Cup (European Team Cup). Out of the 56 teams competing they finished in 24th place some 13 places higher than expected. Celina performed almost 100% of her target and set a new personal best of 55.20 points.

On Sunday, Celina competed in the 2009 Bayern Cup final in Roth (Nuernberg) and finished in a well earned 7th place, one place higher than expected.

On the same day Alisa remained in Worms to compete in her Irish colours in the 2009 Youth International event. The competition was strong as she was competing against some countries who were in the recent European Championships. We were hoping for a 7th. place finishing. Alisa put in a tremendous performance to finish in 4th place, just missing out on the bronze. What a great result especially on her 16th. birthday.

Here is a photo from the event. There will be more on turnfestbilder.com in the next days.

Best wishes to all from a very happy team,
 
Danny (proud father)

The team of Ailbhe Ivory, Rachel Mitchell, Rachael Withers, Heather Beirne and Fiona  Guihan will line up for the sprinting based camp. The track scene in Ireland has kicked off nicely this year.. starting in the winter with trips to the track in Alkmaar, and followed by a women’s track league run by the track commission. In July two Dutch women’s teams raced in the Sneem Hotel International meet, and the popularity of the track racing continued with the Track National Championships and the Eamonn Ceannt Trophy Scratch Race.

Jennifer O Reilly (Ravens), who is the Irish National Champion in the Scratch and Sprint will be joining the Juniors in Edinburgh to complete the programme of racing.

Both Alisa and her sister Celina competed in the “Untermain-Cup 2009″ in Elsenfeld near Frankfurt.

Alisa’s target was 87.40 points (as was her target in the European Championships) and a finishing position of 7th. in the Juniors. With a superb performance she ended up in 5th place but more importantly she smashed her previous best of 71.41 and set a new personal best of 79.86 points.

Celina competed in the 12 to 14 year old group with a target of 57.30 points and a finishing position of 9th. A near perfection performance resulted in Celina also finishing in 5th. place  and ach ieving a new personal best of 54.62 points.

Tomorrow morning Junior rider Mary Costelloe lines out in the Junior Women’s Road Race in the European Championships.

The Irish American Alliance Environmental rider has already clocked up some good results in Ireland since arriving here several weeks ago, including a bronze medal in the Elite Women’s National Championships last weekend. Last Wednesday Mary had her first taste of International racing in the Time Trial at the Europeans in Belgium, where she came 41st, just one place behind GB track rider Jess Booth, and just over 2min behind the eventual winner.

Mary was the 2008 US National Champion in Track Pursuit, and has been training and competing mainly on the track for almost 8 years!! Sounds like a great set up she has in her home town in Philadelphia, where they train regularly as a group on an outdoor track under the guidance of mentors like Olympian Jack Simes.

So best of luck to Mary in tomorrow’s 63km Road Race!!

Heather Wilson (Maryland Wheelers) became the 2009 National Champion in Road Racing yesterday, in a bunch sprint. Olivia Dillon (Touchstone Racing) was second, with Junior rider Mary Costelloe third. (photo – Brendan Culleton).

Being a flat course meant that the bunch pretty much stayed together to the line, and the favourite riders were heavily marked in the race. Siobhan Dervan (Fenixs) was strongly tipped for the win, being 4 times National Champion, however, her every move was monitored, along with Oliva and Heather Wilson.

We saw the biggest turn out in a women’s national championships, with 40 women lining out to contest the title, a great day for women’s cycling! A special mention has to go to the Juniors who raced, with Heather Beirne (Navan) riding her best race to date – finishing second in the Junior category, and finishing with the elite bunch. Mary Costelloe won the Junior category, coming in third overall – setting her up well for the European Junior Championships next month.

Check out the report by Shane Stokes HERE

Check out Peter Purfield’s photos HERE

And check out Brendan Culleton’s pics HERE

Marian Lamb’s photos HERE

Hi! My name is Alisa Fitzpatrick, I’m 15 years old and I participated in the recent European Championships for indoor (artistic) cycling in Heerlen (NL). It was a great honour for me to represent Ireland in this sport.

First I would like to give a little background about artistic cycling. It was founded by an American over 100 years ago and features mainly in central and east Europe and in some Asian countries. Artistic cycling is a form of competitive indoor cycling in which athletes perform exercises for points on specialized, fixed gear bikes in a format similar to gymnastics. The exercises are performed before judges in five minute rounds by singles, pairs, four- or six-person teams. Points are determined in advance based on the difficulty of each exercise and are then awarded based on the judges’ scoring of each exercise. In the juniors (between 14 and 18 years) you have to perform 30 different exercises.

The decision was taken last year during the World Championships where one of my trainers Doris Niedermaier asked me if I wanted to compete in the European championships. So I answered yes . The following half year, training started getting harder. I had already been doing the sport for the last 5 to 6 years.

We contacted Cycling Ireland who was very interested and supportive. So everything was planned for the European Championships 2009. But after a major accident, which included an operation, we weren’t so sure anymore if I could start or not.

In April my dad and I flew over to Dublin where we met Geoff Liffey and Michael Concannon to tell them about Artistic Cycling. Actually it was planned that I would also do a demo, but back then I still wasn’t allowed to go on the bike because of the injury, so we showed a video. At the meeting I was presented with the Irish outfit for which I felt and still feel very proud.

When I recovered from the injury and with three weeks remaining before the championships training became harder than ever. We also went into the hall on Sundays.

We arrived in Heerlen three days before the competition. We did some light training over the next days. Various countries began to arrive and I felt really good and confident. German, Swiss and Austrian teams also stayed in our hotel. The atmosphere was very exciting. During the official opening I carried the Irish flag in the parade. The hall at that stage was very full with over 16 nations competing.

On the morning of the competition my confidence completely disappeared. I was very nervous that I couldn’t meet my expectations and disappoint my trainer and the fans who came to support me. In the end the event was a total success, although I expected to lose fewer points, and I came 11th.

I also learnt that when you think you can’t anymore you still can do it if you really want it! A big thank you to my trainer Robert Niedermaier who put all the effort and time in to train me! Thank you to Doris Niedermaier for her immense support. Also thanks to my club who came all the way up to support me. To know you have so much support is amazing! I really enjoyed the European championships and hope to compete next year again in Ludwigslust, Germany.

Report by Alisa Fitzpatrick

European Championships Team Announcement

The High Performance Team of Cycling Ireland is pleased to announce both the Junior and U23 road teams for the European Road Championships in Belgium next month. The teams have been selected with an eye on results and performance, along with suitability to the tough course that includes a number of testing cobbled climbs. Each team will have a protected rider and a race strategy which includes designated roles for each rider.

We are also pleased to include in the line up, the sole female member of the teams, Mary Costello a talented junior who will ride the womens time trial and road race.

The Performance Director Phil Leigh believes we have an excellent group of talented and committed young riders that are capable of challenging for top honours. He continued, “I see a lot of young talent coming through the ranks at the moment and there is a high level of confidence and belief in both teams that they can deliver a result”.

European Road Championships, Belgium (U23), 1st-5th July 09

Riders:

1.       Sam Bennett           (RR)

2.       Sean Downey          (RR & TT)

3.       Philip Lavery           (RR)

4.       Conor McConvey    (RR)

5.       Ronan McLaughlin (RR)

Manager: Timmy barry

A map of the U23 RR can be viewed here:

http://uitslagen.kbwb-rlvb.com/index_bestanden/pdf/EKHOOGParcRHU23.pdf

European Road Championships, Belgium (Juniors), 1st-5th July 09

Riders: (M)

1.       Marcus Christie        (RR & TT)

2.       Jonathan Cole           (RR & TT)

3.       Stuart Henry              (RR)

4.       Peter Williams          (RR)

Rider: (F)

1.     Mary Costello                        (RR & TT)

A map of the Women’s Junior RR can be viewed here:

http://uitslagen.kbwb-rlvb.com/index_bestanden/pdf/EKHOOGParcRDJun.pdf

Manager: Brian Taffe

Phil Leigh

High Performance Director

Cycling Ireland

At the end of the night Jenny gav out the prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Jenny had a spot prize, we put our numbers in a bag my (aibhle ivory) number 104 got pulled out, i won gear. Me and kayleigh had a good night of raceing and wants to say thanks to Jenny McCauley.

National Championships 2007

For those of you unsure as to whether or not you are up to the National Road Championships this year, fear not – there will be a coached training spin on the course on Friday 12th June.

This year we want to see record numbers at the National Road Race Championships (27th June) to reflect the progress of women’s cycling in Ireland. The course this year is relatively flat, which is ideal for anyone who has started racing this year, whether in the Boot Inn League, Ulster Women’s League, or club leagues. Even if you participate in leisure cycles or go for regular cycles you should turn up to experience first hand some great racing and the buzz of being part of the key event on the women’s road calendar.

The fact that the National Championships course this year is fairly flat means that the race is likely to be a bit cautious with many tactics coming into play with the more experienced riders out there. Also it is likely that everyone will find a group in the race that is going at a similar pace to them. 

Come along to our training day on Friday 12th June to check out the course, and you will see that it is not so daunting after all!! Myself and Orla will be leaving the GPO at 5.40pm, and another group (with Jenny) will be gathering at the garden centre in Batterstown at about 7pm. We will all ride around the course together.

The National Championships is a unique opportunity to start along side top riders like Siobhan Dervan, who was 25th in the 2008 World Championships, and Irish National TT Champion, Olivia Dillon, who will be travelling over from the USA.  Heather Wilson recently dominated the women’s section in the tough Rás Dun na nGall, and will no doubt be looking to better her bronze medal in the 2008 Road Race. For 2008 silver medallist, Louise Moriarty, cycling has taken a back seat for a few months due to study commitments, but I can’t imagine that will be evident when we see her racing on her own turf on the 27th June. Junior rider Mary Costelloe (US National Junior Champ in track pursuit) has arrived in Ireland this week to finalise her preparation for the European Championships – and fresh from some great results against tough competition in the USA I reckon she will also be a force to be reckoned with.

Saying that there has already been a lot of great racing from the women this year – with newcomer Michelle Geoghegan (Orwell) being particularly outstanding so far this season, Limerick’s Adrienne McCarty and the Lakeside Wheelers Sarah Piner and Wendy Bates have also been impressive. In Ulster record numbers of women have been racing, thanks to the Ulster Women’s League, and every time they race they jump up a gear, and the same with the Boot Inn League. While earlier in the league the scratch group caught up on the limit riders by the last lap – by the final round the limit girls were strong enough to dominate the top positions. Here is a chance for all of you to step it up another gear!

JUNIORS: Last year we had a demonstration event for Junior women at the Nationals, with both the Road and TT being won by Castlebar’s Elaine Cawley. This year the event is again a demonstration event, and will continue to be so until we have 10 junior women racing… so Juniors please turn up, and encourage your junior friends.. you guys are the future, so take the opportunity this year to get enough of you racing to get Junior women’s racing on the calendar as a fully recognised Championship event!

We urge you all to get out and race the Nationals, what have you got to lose? And on the plus side you will be supporting women’s cycling in Ireland – where funding and support is largely dependent on numbers participating.

So what next?

FRIDAY 12th JUNE – coached spin around the National Championship circuit (gpo 5.40pm or garden centre in batterstown 7pm)

SUNDAY 14th JUNE – National League in Navan (full details to follow) – perfect chance to get used to racing a slightly longer race.

Tuesday nights – come to the Wicklow Women’s League – Ashford @7pm

Wednesday nights – come to the track league in Sundrive Park, Crumlin @6.30pm

Club Leagues – most clubs are part of a league – go to some of these races to sharpen up

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – 27th JUNE entry form here 2009rr-nationals-entry-form-women-vets

For the number nerds among you (hmm… or us):

By the middle of May the number of female members in Cycling Ireland reached a record of 536 members, last year the total membership was 554 women, which was double all previous records.

Alisa in action

Despite suffering an injury several weeks before the competition the montivated Germany based Junior impressed the judges with her performance, resulting in 8th place overall. Indoor cycling is hugely popular in Germany, and is a more artistic side to the sport than we are used to. Check out the website HERE and there are several photos of Alisa on page 23 in the photo album. And more photos HERE Well done Alisa!!

Mary racing in wilmington GP

Junior rider Mary Costelloe clocked up a few more good performances last weekend, coming 8th at the RFK criterium, and 16th in the Tour of Somerville, despite getting caught up in a crash in Somerville. The highlight of the day, however, was Mary being called to the line before the start of the race to have her achievements and performances acknowledged. Go Mary!!!! Race Report HERE. Check out the photo of her riding beside Monique Hanley HERE

Mary raced two NRC events this weekend against both the Australian national team and the very best in the eastern USA. She placed nineteenth on Saturday and tenth on Sunday—the top Junior to finish in both events.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/road.php?id=road/2009/may09/wilmington09

http://www.cyclingnews.com/road.php?id=road/2009/may09/bikejam09

This past weekend I raced the Philly 2 Day classic: a 25 mile circuit race on Saturday and a 25 mile crit. on Sunday. On Saturday, it very rather cold and extremely windy with gusts up to fifty miles per hour. It was enough to stay on our bikes let alone race because the side wind was terrible. The course was 2.6 miles and mostly flat with a slight up and down hill. About fifty riders started the race; only twenty or so managed to finish. There were some big names in the race: Laura Van Gilder, the 2007 NRC (National Race Calendar) champion, and Andrea Leubbe, an up and coming rider. There were many unsuccessful attempts to break away during the race, so it came down to the final sprint. With a 200m to go, I found myself boxed in; I managed to get through and came in second.

The weather the following day was much nicer: chilly with a slight breeze; however, there was a terrible headwind by the finish line. The short .8 mile course was very technical: there were two down-hill “s” turns with a long incline to the finish line. Unlike the previous day four riders managed to get away and distance themselves from the pack. As I was in second position in omnium points, my attacks were quickly shut down by the rest of the pack. I came in second in the field sprint which put me in sixth in the race. Since this race was an omnium, I got third overall only five points shy of second. I believe I raced well this weekend and cannot wait for the next one.

Mary Costelloe

Some of the gang at the training camp

Photos courtesy of Paddy Doran.