Ireland’s Denis Lynch and Michael Kearins route to Monaco this week where the latest rounds of the Longines Global Champions Tour and Global Champions League take place. The duo are among five Irish riders with GCL teams, but the others – Bertram Allen, Darragh Kenny and Cian O’Connor – will be in Rotterdam as part of the squad for the Nations Cup qualifier.

Lynch has excelled in the league since becoming a late squad replacement for Miami Glory, and jumped double-clears with RMF Echo in both of the meetings in which he has been involved, the latest being at Cannes earlier this month. Miami are currently fifth in the eighteen-team league, which is headed by Bertram Allen’s Valkenswaard United who won the Cannes leg.

For Kearins and his Moscow Bears team-mates, the GCL has been a struggle and the team continues to prop up the table.

This will be round seven of a total of fifteen to be contested, the final one of which is in Doha in November.

Each GCL team has a squad of up to five members, only two of which represent the team on any one day. At each venue, teams jump a round on two separate days, with total faults being added.

Friday will see the first day of the team competition, with the contest doubling as the Massimo Dutti Trophy including non-team riders.

The concluding team round takes place on Saturday, and will again have an individual element as a qualifier for the LGCT Grand Prix in the evening.

Mike Dunne

Global Champions League standings ahead of round 7 Monaco
(Irish squad members in brackets)

1. Valkenswaard United 123 (Bertram Allen)

2. Hamburg Diamonds 119

3. St. Tropez Pirates 103

4. London Knights 97

5. Miami Glory 91.5 (Cian O’Connor/Denis Lynch)

6. Cannes Stars 88

7. Doha Fursan Qatar 87

8. Rome Gladiators 87

9. Mexico Amigos 86

10. Chantilly Pegasus 83

11. Shanghai Swans 81

12. Paris Panthers 73 (Darragh Kenny)

13. Vienna Eagles 68

14. Cascais Charms 65

15. Madrid In Motion 63

16. Monaco Aces 62

17. Berlin Lions 46

18. Moscow Bears 29.50 (Michael Kearins)