Lara Gillespie best of the Irish on day three of European track championships

Lara Gillespie was the top Irish finisher on Friday’s third day of the European track championships, finishing 13th in the women’s omnium.

She took part in the four-round event in Grenchen, Switzerland, netting 13th in the opening scratch race and then moving up one place overall due to her ninth in the tempo race.

The Enniskerry rider was 15th in the elimination race and then secured a point in the opening sprint of the points race, ending up 13th overall in the competition.

Gillespie was one of the four Irish riders on the squad which broke the national team pursuit record on Thursday en route to fifth in that competition.

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Also in action on Friday were Conor Rowley and JB Murphy. Rowley competed in the men’s sprint, netting 17th in the qualifying round with a time of 10.091 seconds. That earned him a place in the 1/16 finals but he finished second to Czech rider Dominik Topinka by just 0.013 seconds and exited the competition.

Murphy rode aggressively in the men’s scratch race, attacking early on and going close to lapping the bunch before being reeled back in. That early pace took its toll on him and he was amongst eight riders who did not finish the race.

The action continues on Saturday with the penultimate day of the event. Orla Walsh competes in the 500 metre time trial, while Kelly Murphy and Erin Creighton will be the Irish entrants in the individual pursuit. Creighton was a late addition to the team after Emily Kay withdrew due to injury, and is making her elite international debut.

Murphy will compete in the men’s omnium and Mia Griffin will ride the women’s points race.

Meanwhile Irish Downhill team Continental Nukeproof Factory Racing has again been confirmed as an Elite UCI team for 2023 and has further strengthened the squad with the addition of Veronika Widmann and Louise Anna Ferguson.

The two women join Ronan Dunne and Chris Cumming, who had a strong season with the team in 2022. Dunne was fourth in the Snowshow World Cup and took the Irish national title. Cumming recorded victories in Irish and international events.

Widmann is the current Italian national champion and finished third overall in last year’s World Cup. Scottish competitor Ferguson also had an impressive season, netting a podium at the Leogang World Cup round and landing multiple victories in the Crankworx World Series.

“We are very excited about our prospects for 2023 as an Elite UCI Team retaining Ronan and Chris coupled with the addition of two new female athletes in Veronika and Louise,” said team manager Mark Cumming. “This projects a very positive image of who we are and the ethos behind the team.

“Two years ago, we embarked upon setting up a World Cup team to compete at international events. Last Friday, we were awarded elite status to be now in the top fifteen teams in the world. For us it’s unbelievable to be an Irish team competing at the highest level and with the Irish national champion in Ronan Dunne on our roster is brilliant for Irish downhill cycling.”