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Five-Rider Team Announced for Upcoming Junior Tour of Ireland
The Quanta Capital Junior Tour of Ireland kicks off again next week, with teams and riders coming from across the globe to ride Ireland’s premiere junior stage race.Cycling Ireland will once again field a national team, with five riders making up this year’s squad.
High Performance Pathway Programme athlete Hugh Óg Mulhearne and Kilcullen rider Fionn Killeen both made history earlier this year as they were the first juniors in several decades to ride the prestigious Rás Tailteann – their senior national team debuts. The pair will once again ride in green for next week’s Junior Tour.
James Armstrong, who joined Mulhearne on the podium at the recent National Championships in Cong, Co. Mayo, has represented Ireland in cyclo-cross previously, and will now get an opportunity to ride for Ireland on the road. The second year junior has been plying his trade with French outfit U19 Academy Region Sud this year and sees his strong performances translate into national team selection.
Armstrong and Mulhearne have both had strong showings in France so far this season, as has Mulhearne’s AS Villemur Cyclisme team-mate Darragh Byrne. Having represented Leinster in last year’s Junior Tour, and helping team-mate Matthew Walls to the overall GC win, Byrne now comes into the national team set up for this year’s edition.
Rian McCrystal rounds out this year’s Junior Tour team. The Cannibal B Victorious rider saw the first half of his season hampered by injury, but has bounced back with strong performances at both the Criterium and Road National Championships recently. While McCrystal represented Ireland at last year’s European Youth Olympic Festival in North Macedonia, this marks his first selection in a Junior National Team.
High Performance Pathway Lead Stuart Balfour hailed the strength of this year’s team; “We’re heading into the Junior Tour of Ireland with a really strong team and a great spread of qualities, which gives us options to target both stage wins and the general classification. It’s always a special race, being the national tour, so we’re proud to be representing the Irish jersey and we’re determined to show it well. The guys are really looking forward to the challenge and making the most of the opportunity.”
This year’s race gets underway on Tuesday, July 7th in Ennis, Co. Clare. All six stages set out from Ennis, with the final day featuring a circuit of Ennis itself. Riders will face a total of 565km over the six stages, which will once again no doubt challenge every rider on course.
STAGES
Stage 1 – 6th July 2026 – Maghera – 63.6km
Stage 2 – 8th July 2026 – West Clare – 96.5km
Stage 3 – 9th July 2026 – Whitegate - 102km
Stage 4 – 10th July 2026 – ‘The Burren’ – 122.8km
Stage 5 – 11th July 2026 – Ballyallia Lake – 108.6km
Stage 6 – 12th July 2026 – Ennis Circuit Race – 79.1km