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Last Updated: 2 Apr 2018 - 8:45:17 PM |
Good Results for Ireland at the Junior World Championships
By Heather Boyle, Cycling Ireland Communications Officer
26 Aug 2017,
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Sixth for Xeno in the Omnium at the Junior World Championships
26th August 2017
Ireland’s Xeno Young finished sixth in the Omnium at the UCI 2017 Junior Track Cycling World Championships in Montichiari, Italy, tonight. The World Silver Medallist in the Individual Pursuit led the four-race event going into the final Points Race, and missed the podium by just 5 points. The gold medal and world title went to Julius Johansen (Den), Australia’s Stephen Cuff won silver, and Belarussian Uladzislau Tsimoshyk won the bronze medal.
Consistent results in the opening Scratch, Tempo and Elimination Races put the Powerhouse Sport junior in second place entering the final Points Race. With everything to play for, and sprint points being awarded every ten laps, Young slipped down the rankings, settling for sixth place at the finish.
This ends what has been another fantastic World Championships for the Irish team. Yesterday Young won a silver medal in the Individual Pursuit, with JB Murphy winning bronze in the Points Race. Last month both Irish riders won silver medals in the European Track Championships, confirming their top form in their final year in the junior ranks.
The UCI 2017 Junior Track Cycling World Championships takes place in Montichiari, Italy, from the 23 – 27 August 2017.
RESULTS:
Junior Men’s Omnium
Gold: Julius Johansen (Denmark)
Silver: Stephen Cuff (Australia)
Bronze: Uladzislau Tsimoshyk (Belarus)
6th Xeno Young (Ireland)
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MEDAL ALERT: 25th August 2017
Ireland has continued its summer medal success, with Xeno Young winning silver in the Individual Pursuit and JB Murphy winning bronze in the Points Race at the Junior Track Cycling World Championships in Montichiari, Italy, tonight. Both riders won silver at the European Championships last month, before claiming medals on the world stage.
Having qualified as second fastest rider, Young had time to digest the fact that he would be a world medallist. His time of 3.15.5 seconds was half a second off the Danish fastest qualifier – Johan Price-Pejtersen:
“It’s crazy. It sunk in just after the qualifiers that I’d get a medal. In the qualifier I stuck to the schedule that Brian (Nugent – Technical Director) gave me, and hoped for the best. I rode the way I normally ride, and at first was annoyed that I finished second, because the European Champion was in the next heat. I was sure he would go faster. Myself and Brian watched him race; he was ahead, ahead, ahead, and then slowed down. Then it just hit us that we were in the final.”
With a medal guaranteed, Young focused on relaxing: “After the qualifier I tried to relax, and not think about it. I got the tunes on, just playing random music to calm myself down. I was feeling quite confident and the track was going quickly. I knew I’d be calm out there. In qualifying I knocked four seconds off my previous record (and national record).”
It has been a roller coaster of a summer for Young, having travelling straight to the European Road Championships, having won silver in the Individual Pursuit at the track. The Powerhouse Sport rider highlights the importance of having fun in sport:
“It’s been a bit mad for the last month – I was shocked to get the 11th in the Time Trial on the road at the Europeans, it was a different focus. Then myself and JB spent some time in Majorca straight away, training for this. We put in good work with David (Muntaner – Track Coach), and had a bit of fun training with Felix and Fintan.”
Speaking after his race Murphy was delighted to stand on the podium, describing an eventful race:
“It felt really good being on the podium. I crashed pretty hard in the qualifiers so was quite sore starting the finals. I only hopped on the rollers 15 minutes before the race started, and wasn’t expecting anything as I was still sore and recovering from road rash – so I was much more relaxed racing.”
Murphy picked up points throughout the race, and gained a lap on the field with four other riders, and came within 20 metres of winning the world title:
“I sat in for the first twenty laps, while a Danish lad kept attacking. After he blew up I had a bit of a go, and got in a move with four riders. The five of us shared the load and got a lap, I also had picked up points in a few sprints, so just started creeping up the leader boards.”
Not content with a lap, the Kildare man targeted gold:
“After the last sprint, with ten laps to go, I attacked on my own. I just kept going full gas, but my lets were in bits, I was so tired. I got caught 20m from the line. If I had held onto it I would have been World Champion, with double points for the last sprint. But I’m delighted with the medal – it feels brilliant.”
Tomorrow Young is in action again, competing in the four race Omnium event. The UCI 2017 Junior Track Cycling World Championships take place in Montichiari, Italy, from the 23 – 27 August 2017.
RESULTS:
Junior Men’s Individual Pursuit
Gold: Johan Price-Pejtersen (Denmark)
Silver: Xeno Young (Ireland)
Bronze: Lev Gonov (Russian Federation)
Junior Men’s Points Race
Gold: Oleg Kanaka(Ukraine)
Silver: Ivan Gerasimov (Russian Federation)
Bronze: JB Murphy (Ireland)
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24th August 2017
Fifteenth for Murphy in Scratch Race at UCI Junior Track Cycling World Championships
JB Murphy has finished fifteenth in the Junior Men’s Scratch Race at the UCI Junior Track Cycling World Championships in Montichiari, Italy today. Daniel Babor (CZE) won the World Title, with Poland’s Filip Prokopyszyn and Argentina’s Ivan Gabriel Ruiz winning silver and bronze.
The silver medallist in the Elimination Race at the European Championships last month dominated his qualifying round, winning heat one of the 7.5km Scratch Race. In the 10km Final Murphy attacked with 3km to go, aiming to gain a lap. The Kildare man was frustrated to be reeled back in, disappointed with his final position.
Speaking after the race the Murphy Surveys Kilcullen CC rider said “I had high hopes for the race, and wanted a good result. The heat had gone really well, I stuck to the plan and attacked with 20 laps to go, and won the heat. But in the final I attacked to the boys up the road with 11 laps to go, and I just went through them. They wouldn’t work with me, not even for half turns, so I’m really disappointed. We had half a lap and could have made it.”
The Scratch Race is a bunch race where the first rider over the line wins; endurance riders aim to lap the field to gain an advantage.
“It was a gradual race, constantly going hard. I attacked a bit in the final, but nothing came of it. I have the Points Race tomorrow, and that’s a stop-go race, and that suits me better.”
It has been a busy year for Murphy, who competed in the World Cyclocross Championships in February before switching his focus to the track:
“It’s been a good summer, I have been training in Majorca a lot, and put a solid two months of training in there ahead of these World Championships. Hopefully I will wake up tomorrow with the legs I had this morning.”
The UCI 2017 Junior Track Cycling World Championships take place in Montichiari, Italy, from the 23 – 27 August 2017.
RESULTS:
Junior Men’s Scratch Race
Gold: Daniel Babor (Czech Republic)
Silver: Filip Prokopyszyn (Poland)
Bronze: Ivan Gabriel Ruiz (Argentina)
IRISH TEAM
JB Murphy (MJun) Athgarvan, Co. Kildare
Xeno Young (MJun) Hillsborough, Co. Down
Official Website: https://velodromemontichiari.com/en/uci-2017-junior-track-cycling-world-championship/
Cycling Ireland Website: www.cyclingireland.ie
CI Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cyclingireland
CI Twitter: @irecyclingfed
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