Martyn Irvine set the bar for Irish international cyclists, achieved something that would have been unthinkable 10 years ago, and had unrivalled dedication, passion, and professionalism for the sport.

Though there were plenty of contenders, including Sam Bennett and Eddie Dunbar, Dingle woman Josie Knight was perhaps the breakthrough Irish cyclist of 2014.

Though plans to build Ireland’s first velodrome remain etched on the drawing board, Ireland’s track cycling team is motoring along regardless. 

Injury. For professional sports people, it is both the bogeyman outside the window and the wolf at the door.

The Olympic Council of Ireland announced the Team Ireland leaders for the Rio Olympic Games 2016 this morning and Paul McGinley is the Team Leader for the golfers.

Sean Downey will replace the injured Martyn Irvine in Ireland’s Men’s Team Pursuit in the second round of the UCI Track World Cup in London this weekend.

Nicolas Roche got Ireland’s UCI World Championships campaign underway in Ponferrada, Spain yesterday with a fifth-place finish in the Elite men’s team time-trial.

Ireland’s Josie Knight has won a silver medal in the Junior Women’s Individual Pursuit at the UEC European U23/Junior Track Championships in Anadia, Portugal.

Ireland’s Caroline Ryan finished sixth in qualifying for the Individual Pursuit final at the UCI Track World Championships in Cali, Colombia, last night.

Cycling Ireland High Performance coach Brian Nugent is upbeat ahead of this week’s UCI World Track Championships in Cali, Colombia and believes he has medal-winning form in the three-person Irish team of Martyn Irvine, Caroline Ryan and debutant at this level, Ryan Mullen.

Brian Nugent scratches his head and tries to tot up the number of days he has spent abroad with Irish cyclists this year — but can only offer a very rough estimate. “A lot,” he eventually settles for.

Irish Paralympic cyclist Peter Ryan has endured more than most in his young life but the 23-year-old from Upperchurch in Tipperary believes that losing his sight in the space of a few months isn’t going to halt a promising sporting career.

The Minister of State for Tourism and Sport confirmed €2 million of the monies cut from the sports budget earlier this year has been returned to the sector for use at grass roots and elite levels.

Ireland’s Martyn Irvine won his first ever gold medal at a UCI World Cup Track meeting on Saturday night, winning the points race in Manchester from a star-studded field.

For five days, Mark Rohan could only look on as the medals were hoarded and the levels of expectation multiplied like ripples in a pond.

Irish track cyclist Caroline Ryan arrived back to a hero’s welcome at Dublin airport yesterday after becoming the country’s first senior World track cycling medallist in the professional era, following her bronze medal in the Women’s 25k points race last Thursday.

Caroline Ryan, a Garda from County Kildare, today won the first Track Cycling World Championship medal in Ireland’s history.

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