Ryan to compete in Strong Field in Points Race

Caroline Ryan will line up later today in a straight final of the Points Race in the Track Cycling World Cup in Aguascalientes, Mexico. Ryan won a Bronze medal in this discipline at the World Championships in Melbourne last year. The strong field includes World Silver Medallist Jasmin Glaesser (Canada) along with some of the top names in Women's Track Cycling.

With only two riders representing Ireland at this event, Ryan will be the sole competitor today, with young rider Eoin Mullen racing in the Sprint and Kierin events in the coming days.

Speaking before the competition coach Brian Nugent said "The Points race will be invaluable experience, with multiple World Champion, Bronzini from Italy, and 4 times World Champion Sarah Hammer (USA) also competing. This is the kind of experience Caroline will need as she builds towards Rio 2016".

Speaking ahead of Mullen's competition coach Andy Sparks said "Eoin has made considerable gains in the few months, and we expect nothing less than a new Irish record. With full teams being fielded by France, Russia, New Zealand, Czech Republic, Japan and Australia, Eoin, once again, will get a great opportunity to race with the World's best.".

The Points Race is a 20km race, or 80 laps of the 250m track, including 8 sprints. Points are accumulated in each of these sprints, the eventual winner will be the rider who has accumulated the most points.

The World Cup in Mexico is the final leg in the Track Cycling World Cup Series, with riders looking for both qualification in the World Championships, and valuable experience. While Ryan has already qualified for the World Championships in the Individual Pursuit, a good result in this competition will qualify her in the Points race at the Worlds.

The competition takes place in Aguascalientes, Mexico, between January 17th and 19th.