Frustration for Para Cyclist Jerry Towey missing out on Para Rio games
Jerry targeted Rio selection after being selected to the 2013 World Cup held in Segovia Spain. He returned in 2014 to the same venue taking 13th position in the Time Trial.
Towey amassed the fourth highest points tally for Rio in the male section, he competed in events in Germany, Spain, Czech Republic & the UK just missing the third step of the podium on three occasions. However Paralympics Ireland criteria stated it would be the two best results on the UCI scoring system that counted for selection.
Jerry goal was always to get a top 10 in a World Cup in the Time Trial but in an event in South Africa that there was very little interest in from Nations other than Ireland Towey returned with two Bronze medals. Unfortunately this wasn’t enough with almost all Irish riders making the podium in a medal frenzies with a small fields in all categories including Jerry's. It was always going to be a battle for the third or fourth slot for the Kilmovee man with Eoghan Clifford of Galway Bay CC & Colin Lynch of Manchester having medalled at World Championships securing selection in different Categories.
2016 has been a tough year on the Kilmovee man with him crashing out on the first race of the season in March breaking his nose, fracturing his cheekbone & spending the night Drogheda hospital with concussion. Jerry dose what he does best comes back... and was back on the bike three days later. The untimely death of his father the following week knocked him for six but rumor has it there is a big man in a big gear doing early morning hill reps on the Airport Hill & we expect the form he showed early this season in the Ireland West Dualathon series to come to light later on this season in the Time Trials....
