Irish juniors have enjoyed significant success at home and abroad and now some of them will be eligible to ride Rás Tailteann (Photo: Xavier Pereyron)
As the sport of cycling – especially the junior and U23 ranks – has shifted significantly in the last five or six years, Cycling Ireland has responded by deciding some juniors will be allowed ride Rás Tailteann for the first time.
However, the new move is very far from throwing the gates open to all junior riders. Instead, it will start with up to two juniors being allowed to ride the race, alongside U23s, on the national team selected for the race.
The move, which is long overdue, comes after juniors have been permitted to ride Rás na mBan for some time. Furthermore, U16 riders from abroad – certainly those who would be U16 if they raced in Ireland – have, in the past, been able to ride the Junior Tour of Ireland.
Some Americans have raced as juniors when they were 15-years-old, after being allowed to do so by USA Cycling. That meant they were officially classified as juniors and so were free to ride junior races in the US and abroad, including the Junior Tour of Ireland. However, to be clear, the Junior Tour of Ireland does not take U16 riders. It is only open to those with junior licences.
Cycling Ireland said the decision to allow juniors ride Rás Tailteann will involve only second-year juniors being eligible. The maximum number of juniors allowed into the race, certainly for now, will be two.
And they will only be allowed to ride the race as part of a Cycling Ireland development plan for them, which would involve their selection onto the Irish team for the Rás. Those conditions mean the new development is controlled and is all decided by Cycling Ireland’s high performance unit.
“As in previous years, the Rás team composition is aiming primarily at U23 riders with the potential for a more senior road captain to lead the team,” Cycling Ireland said in a statement, meaning an Irish team could include a senior rider, U23s and juniors.
“Should any second year juniors evidence that they are ready and will gain a positive developmental and learning opportunity from this level of race exposure, they will be considered for selection. No other Juniors are permitted to race with any other teams.”
Cycling Ireland coach Martyn Irvine said he “would be delighted to provide our best young riders with an experience of riding the Rás”.
“In recent years development has been our primary objective and the Rás organisers have consistently been supportive in this endeavour,” Irvine added.
“We hope this will motivate our junior riders in the early season and enable us to sustain this development in line with how the sport is evolving Internationally.”
This initial move to allow juniors in Rás Tailteann is happening against the backdrop of the junior category having become much more important for development, and talent spotting internationally by teams.
This means the U23 category is being squeezed very hard and is no longer as important, certainly not for national team selection.
Many top U23s, including those from Ireland, are now riding for U23 development teams linked to ProConti or World Tour pro teams. The growth of those U23 squads means they have almost completely taken the place of national teams in exposing U23 riders to international racing.
Nothing reflects that move more than recent changes to Tour de l’Avenir, which has for years been raced by national teams. From this year, the field will be made up of U23 trade/club teams, rather than national team selections.
The UCI has also axed the U23 Nations Cup series, which is another clear sign the U23 teams linked to bigger pro squads are now the development pathway that national team selection once was.