O Loughlin returns to Beijing

Connachts cycling Olympian David O Loughlin returns to the Laoshan velodrome in Beijing this weekend for round 4 of the UCI World Cup. It is a far cry from July where searing temperatures did not favour O Loughlin and he finished 11th in the Olympic 4km individual pursuit. This time the mercury is reading below zero which could work in O Loughlins favour as a lot of the other riders come from warmer climates than our own.

Having prepared extensively in Newport and Ghent over the last few weeks O Loughlin is in good shape and a ride off for a podium position is not out of the question. Add this to the fact that only one more event takes place in Copenhagen before the World Championships in Poland means he will be extra motivated to gain valuable UCI points.

He travels to China as part of a 5 man Irish team along with David Mc Cann, Paul Healion, Martyn Irvine and Sean Downey. O Loughlin competes in the 4k pursuit and the Team Pursuit. Downey rides in the points race and the scratch event. Healion joins O Loughlin, Mc Cann and Irvine in the team pursuit as well as riding the 1k tt.