Team of Nine Announced for Junior & U23 European Track Championships
The UEC Junior and U23 Track Cycling European Championships take place next month in Cottbus, Germany, and Cycling Ireland is pleased to announce a team of nine riders to represent Ireland.
Lucy Benezet Minns is no stranger to this event or venue, having won a Junior European Championship here in 2024. Benezet Minns returns this year in the U23 category.
Aoife O’Brien, Esther Wong and Erin Creighton have become ever present in Irish kit on the international track stage recently, and all three will compete in U23 events in Germany next month. Wong and Creighton were also yesterday named in the Northern Ireland team to travel to Glasgow for the Commonwealth Games at the end of July.
Max Fitzgerald took a silver medal in the scratch race at European Championships in Portugal in 2025 and returns to compete as an U23 this year. Fitzgerald will be joined in the U23 ranks by Seth Dunwoody; the Bahrain Victorious development rider rode this event in 2024, and makes his return to track action next month.
High Performance Pathway Programme rider Emer Heverin will be the sole female junior in Irish colours this year, as the recent criterium national champion makes her European Championship debut.
Elliott McKeegan and George Sevastopulo have both gained immense experience internationally in the last 12 months and will both ride in the men’s junior category in Cottbus.
Track Head Coach Dan Henchy welcomed the selection of teams across all the available categories; “The Junior and U23 Track European Championship is a marquee event for developing riders, and household names such as Sam Bennett and Lara Gillespie have both won titles at this event as early stepping stones in their glittering careers. Of the 9 riders we’ve selected, 8 have already represented Ireland at this level and will be looking to use that experience to challenge Europe’s best young riders. We also welcome Emer into the team for her track championship debut, who will be looking to continue her stellar start to her first year as a junior and learn the ropes from her more experienced teammates.
Each of the riders have their own story to tell at this event. Lucy (2024 junior points champ) and Max (2025 junior scratch silver) both tasted success as juniors and will be looking to emulate that success in the U23 ranks. Aoife makes her return from injury after surgery to fix a broken shoulder and alongside Erin will be looking to capitalise on their final outing in the U23 ranks. Elliot, George and Esther will be looking to demonstrate the progress they’ve made since their Ireland debuts last year and we welcome Seth back to the track team having already visited the podium on the Roubaix velodrome this year. Let’s hope we can repeat (or better) that that result with a fixed gear!”