{"id":3640,"date":"2022-02-15T17:01:23","date_gmt":"2022-02-15T17:01:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/?p=3640"},"modified":"2022-02-15T17:01:23","modified_gmt":"2022-02-15T17:01:23","slug":"5-irish-cyclists-to-watch-out-for-in-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/2022\/02\/15\/5-irish-cyclists-to-watch-out-for-in-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Irish cyclists to watch out for in 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Nicolas Roche and Dan Martin retired within a week of each other last October, it signalled the end of an era in Irish cycling \u2013 but not the end of the road. With the likes of Sam Bennett and Eddie Dunbar already well established at the highest level, the immediate future was already in good hands, while a glance at the crop of up-and-comers suggest the best is yet to come.<\/p>\n

With that in mind, we\u2019ve chosen five of the finest young riders flying the flag right now \u2013 each of whom may well break out as a new Irish cycling superstar during this year\u2026<\/p>\n

BEN HEALY<\/strong><\/p>\n

There\u2019s every argument that the 20-year-old could have made the step up to World Tour level last year, but a final jaunt at U23 might have been the making of him; a stage win at the Baby Giro, a valuable season of racing after the COVID-interrupted 2020 season, and a contract with EF Education-Nippo waiting on the other side. The UK born Healy \u2013 whose Cork roots are the reason he\u2019s now competing in green \u2013 is an impressive all-rounder, with the sort of skill set that could well see him develop into a GC contender as he matures.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CFh1YjtF10T\/?utm_medium=copy_link<\/a><\/p>\n

LARA GILLESPIE<\/strong><\/p>\n

Readers of We Love Cycling may have already met the Enniskerry hotshot<\/a>; it\u2019s likely that the coming years will see just about everybody introduced to her talents. Turning 21 this April, her prodigious career has seen a raft of medals at Junior, U23 and Senior level, with a European silver at U23 perhaps the pick of the bunch. Paris 2024 is the major goal in the years ahead for a rider who\u2019s proven a track dynamo \u2013 but beyond that, you get the feeling the world is her oyster.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CS64RygMyYk\/?utm_medium=copy_link<\/a><\/p>\n

DARREN RAFFERTY<\/strong><\/p>\n

The youngest rider on this list, the 18-year-old from Tyrone has raced through the Junior ranks, turning heads across the cycling world in the process; bagging an invite to train with QuickStep, and signing a contract with Hagens Berman Axeon \u2013 widely regarded as one of the best developmental squads around. Competing in France last year, he racked up the wins while becoming one of the highest ranked Juniors in a country teeming with talent. If his progression continues as it\u2019s been going, there\u2019s no end to what he might achieve.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CW8rW6dq2QR\/?utm_medium=copy_link<\/a><\/p>\n

KEVIN MCCAMBRIDGE<\/strong><\/p>\n

Another young man who headed for France to find his feet, the Antrim teen will compete for the highly-touted Trinity Racing in 2022 \u2013 the same squad that helped nurture Ben Healy into a WT rider. A season disturbed by everything from concussion and COVID to a broken collarbone wasn\u2019t in the plans, but finishing 2021 with a win in the Junior TT at the Irish Championships served as a reminder that on his day, he\u2019s one of the brightest prospects we\u2019ve got.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CVKsWVXMr87\/?utm_medium=copy_link<\/a><\/p>\n

MEGAN ARMITAGE <\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>With a National Elite Silver alongside a set of solid performances for Team Rupelcleaning in Belgium, 2021 was an impressive season for the Birr athlete; when you realise it was her first full campaign on a bike, it beggars belief. A talented runner until hitting the saddle less than two years ago, her progress in such a short space of time has been staggering. Early signs for this year, when she shone at the Santos Festival of Cycling in Australia, suggest that there\u2019s plenty of road left in one of the more remarkable stories in Irish cycling\u2026<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CZMVWo5PMqK\/?utm_medium=copy_link<\/a><\/p>\n

Fancy setting yourself a new target in 2022? Check out our <\/strong>beginner\u2019s guide to cyclocross in Ireland<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When Nicolas Roche and Dan Martin retired within a week of each other last October, it signalled the end of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":96,"featured_media":3641,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[70],"tags":[],"global-categories":[73],"class_list":["post-3640","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cycling-in-ireland","global-categories-cycling"],"yoast_head":"\n5 Irish cyclists to watch out for in 2022 - \u0160koda We Love Cycling - Ireland<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/2022\/02\/15\/5-irish-cyclists-to-watch-out-for-in-2022\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"5 Irish cyclists to watch out for in 2022\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"When Nicolas Roche and Dan Martin retired within a week of each other last October, it signalled the end of […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/2022\/02\/15\/5-irish-cyclists-to-watch-out-for-in-2022\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"\u0160koda We Love Cycling - 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