Cycling Ireland is aware of certain commentary which has circulated in relation to the 2022 Cyclo-Cross European Championships over the course of the last 24 hours. It is important to note that decisions on attendance at international level Cyclo-Cross events are made by the Cycling Ireland Off-Road Commission and not by the Cycling Ireland High-Performance Unit. As such, the decision not to send a team to the European Championships is separate and unrelated to the Cycling Ireland High-Performance Unit’s decision to forgo attendance at the 2022 UCI Road World Championships.
As previously communicated, it is not a given that Cycling Ireland’s High-Performance Unit, which oversees the Olympic disciplines of Road, Track, Para and BMX Freestyle Park, will attend every event qualified for or take up all allocated quota slots. The Off-Road Commission has worked closely with Cycling Ireland’s High-Performance Unit and is aligned with the wider high-performance approach on the need to demonstrate value for money and ensure investment is linked closely to medal winning opportunities, a qualifying process, Olympic or Paralympic success, or key development aims. It is these principles that has driven the decision in relation to the European Championships by the Off-Road Commission.
Finally, any suggestion that a decision has been made in respect of sending an Irish team to the 2023 UCI Cyclo-Cross World Championships is unfounded and in fact a selection criteria will be published by the Off-Road Commission in early November. A decision regarding attendance at the UCI Cyclo-Cross World Championships will be made by the Off-Road Commission based on rider eligibility and the prioritisation of the 2023 Off-Road Commission budget.