Rian McCrystal of Team Ireland battles against the watch at the UCI World Road Championships in the junior men’s TT in Montreal (Photo: Chris Auld-SWpix)
A trio of Irish juniors have made their debuts at the World Road Championships after lining out in the TTs for Team Ireland in Montreal, Canada.
Though all three have ridden UCI-ranked races already this year, this was a step up onto the biggest stage.
Irish junior men’s road race champion, Freddie Winkley, was making his debut for Ireland at these Worlds.
In the women’s TT, European points race champion Emer Heverin placed 25th, of a 57-rider field.
The 17-year-old from Belfast was 1:26 down on new world champion, Maria Okrucińska (Poland), after 10.7km of racing on the flat course.
“That was a really tough course, especially having not had a lot of time on the TT bike, but I’m glad to have ticked off my first road Worlds event,” said Heverin.
“I’m really looking forward to Friday and the road race now.”
In the junior men’s TT, over the longer distance of 20.3km, Winkley placed 46th of the 69-rider field, some 2:22 down on gold medal winner Benjamín Noval (Spain).
Rían McCrystal, the winner of the Quanta Capital Junior Tour of Ireland this year, placed 52nd at 2:43.
Emer Hevrin has already won a European junior title on the track this year and was making her debut on the road in a major championships in Montreal (Photo: Chris Auld-SWpix)