Strong Irish cycling team

Ireland will be represented by the strongest-ever team at this level when they line up for the European U23 Cycling Championships at Otepaa, Estonia, tomorrow.

Philip Deignan from Letterkenny, who worked his way up to No 2 with a succession of fine performances on the Continent this season, will go to the line as one of the medal favourites but, throughout the team, there is a wealth of talent.

Nicolas Roche, whose father Stephen won the world championships in the same year as the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia, goes in with a big reputation and Páidí O’Brien, who cut his teeth with the high-flying Kanturk Credit Union club, is another high achiever. Tim Cassidy, Seán Lacey and Andrew McQuaid, who keeps the McQuaid dynasty in the limelight, complete a very strong team.