Cyclist Lara Gillespie will not defend her European World Track Championships title in Konya, Turkey, next month due to commitments with her road team.
The 24-year-old, who claimed gold in the elimination race in Belgium last year before going on to also claim gold in the Track World Championships in Octoberis the notable omission among the squad of nine Irish cyclists.
Lucy Benezet Minns, Erin Creighton, Emma Jeffers, Fiona Mangan, Aoife O’Brien, Caoimhe O’Brien and Esther Wong will compete in the women’s endurance race, while Matti Dobbins and Max Fitzgerald will represent Ireland in the men’s endurance.
“We’re looking forward to building on a productive 2025 spent developing new riders and bringing them through our High Performance Pathway,” Cycling Ireland National Track Coach, Dan Henchy, said.
“The size of the squad and the selection of male riders is a testimony to that progress over the last year.
“It will be a shame not to see Lara compete in the rainbow jersey at this event in defending her European title, as along with another regular team-mate, Mia Griffin. Both are on duty with their road teams so unable to make the trip to Konya.”
“Nevertheless, it’s positive to be fielding a large team comprised mostly of younger riders looking to emulate their achievements in the future.”