Shannon McCurley
CYCLING
BIOGRAPHY
In 2016 Shannon became Ireland’s first female Olympic track cyclist in Rio, famously finishing 21st in the Keirin sprint event. In 2019 she won silver in Scratch at the European Championships and finished ninth (with Lydia Boylan) in Madison at the World Championships. Born in Melbourne to a Dublin mum and Belfast dad, Shannon won European U23 bronze in the non-Olympic Scratch discipline in 2012.
OTHER CYCLING ATHLETES
Lydia Gurley
LYDIA GURLEYEQUESTRIAN BIOGRAPHY Lydia put her PhD in renewable energy on hold to specialise in track. She has won two World Cups (2017 &2019) and was pipped for a 2018 European medal in Scratch. She and Lydia Boylan won European Madison gold in 2017 and clinched Ireland’s Tokyo Olympic place by finishing 11th at the …
Fintan Ryan
Fintan RyanCYCLING BIOGRAPHY Among Ryan’s Irish road titles are 2013 national junior road race champion and Irish senior criterium champion (2019). On track he’s been Irish Madison and Scratch champion and competed for Ireland at Europeans in 2015 (Team Pursuit) and 2016 (Elimination event). He joined UCI Continental team EvoPro team this year. OTHER CYCLING …
Felix English
Felix EnglishCYCLING BIOGRAPHY Felix has been competing on the Irish senior team for over ten years, and is based at the Irish training base in Majorca. Both of Felix’s parents are from Dublin. He won five British junior titles and famously beat Chris Hoy at the 2010 European Championships before declaring for Ireland in 2012 …
Mark Downey
Mark DowneyCYCLING BIOGRAPHY In 2017 Mark won two golds in the Points races at the World Cup in Apeldoorn and Colombia and was overall series winner in Points. In 2017 he also won World Cup gold in Madison (with Felix) at LA and was European U23 bronze medallist in Points. In 2018 he was fourth …
Dan Martin
Dan MartinCYCLING BIOGRAPHY Dan Martin is a stage winner in all three Grand Tours – the Tour de France (2013 & 2018), Giro d’Italia (2021) and Vuelta a Espana (2011 & 2020). In 2020 he was 5th in La Flèche Wallonne and had one stage win and two third places in the Vuelta where he …
Nicolas Roche
Nicolas RocheCYCLING BIOGRAPHY One of cycling’s most experienced riders, Nicolas has completed 24 Grand Tours and has had 64 Top 10 stage finishes, putting him third on cycling’s all-time list. He has finished fifth (2013) and sixth (2010) in GC in the Vuelta a Espana and won two stages of it (2013 and 2015). He …
Eddie Dunbar
Eddie DunbarCYCLING BIOGRAPHY Eddie, who played rugby for Sundays Well in his youth, is the only two-time winner of the Junior Tour of Ireland, was only 20 when he finished fourth in the Rás and won the 2017 U23 Tour of Flanders. After entering World Tour racing in 2018 he got a late call-up for …
Emily Kay
Emily KayCYCLING BIOGRAPHY Emily won bronze in the Omnium at the World Cup in Canada in January 2020 where she and McCurley finished seventh in the Madison. In 2019 she transferred to compete for Ireland, her grandparents are from Dublin. Her career for GB included a 2018 Commonwealth bronze in the Scratch race. She is …
CYCLING NEWS
Cycling Ireland Wind Tunnel Testing – OFI Make a Difference
“We had a rider in the wind tunnel recently who was able to reduce their drag by over 5%. That’s a huge margin, it’s worth about 15 watts of sustained power,” says Cycling Ireland’s High Performance Director Iain Dyer. With funding received from the Olympic Federation of Ireland, the benefits of working with aerodynamicist Michael …
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RECIPIENTS OF OFI MAKE A DIFFERENCE FUND
ADDITIONAL FUNDS ADDED WITH €115,000 DISTRIBUTED ACROSS 16 SPORTS Following an overwhelming response in applications to the Make a Difference athlete fund that was announced by the OFI Athletes’ Commission earlier this year, the Olympic Federation of Ireland has channelled an additional €50,000 directly to athletes. Athletes across sixteen sports were awarded a total amount …
Francine Meehan, Women In Coaching – High Performance Pathway (WISH)
Why did you start coaching, what was your avenue into your coaching journey, did someone encourage you in the early days? At the age of Ten, two events affected my life forever. In 1988 my sporting journey began. I watched in wonder the Seoul Olympics, particularly the Steeplechase. And the Rás Tailteann (RAS – International …
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Olympic Focus on High-Performance Coaches
To celebrate International Women’s Day 2023, and Gender Equality Month, the Olympic Federation of Ireland has today announced a series of profiles of some of Ireland’s high-performance female coaches, who have been blazing a trail in Irish Olympic sport. The series kicks off today with interviews with two well-known names in Irish sport, Lisa Jacob …
Top 10 For Mia Griffin In Women’s Elimination Race At UEC Track European Championships
Mia Griffin has finished in tenth place in the women’s elimination race on day two of the UEC Track European Championships in Grenchen, Switzerland on Thursday, February 9th. The Irish rider was heavily involved in the opening exchanges as she kept to the front of the bunch and clear of elimination but found herself in a battle to avoid …
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Cycling Ireland Announces Team For Track European Championships
Cycling Ireland has announced a strong team for the UEC Track European Championships in Grenchen, Switzerland, from February 8th to 12th. Eight riders have been selected to represent Ireland in the championships, including all six riders that competed in the World Championships last October. Off the back of a promising 2022 season for the …
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