Having developed a very professional outfit at Continental level, the An Post-Chainreaction team is intent on expansion; turning ProContinental and possibly retaining a Continental squad.
By Brian Canty
An Post Chainreaction team manager Kurt Bogaerts is “100 per cent” sure the team will move up to the ProContinental ranks one day.
“I think it’s an ambition; I think within five years I should make that happen,” he said.
“We’re going to need to attract probably an international sponsor; a multi-national company with some roots and some interest in Ireland.
“I don’t say I’ve conversations running, but with an icon like Sean Kelly involved, if there’s some roots in Ireland or some interest I think it helps.
“And knowing the economy is picking up again, that’s definitely good and gives me confidence.”
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Bogaerts has said in the past his plan is to retain a Continental-level team and develop the ProContinental outfit in tandem.
Sean Kelly is perhaps less gung-ho than Bogaerts to expand the team. But he believes it is possible and says it would need to be done right for the team to be able to compete well at the higher level.
If that plan eventuates, it would be a major boost for emerging Irish riders.
However, Sean Kelly is a little less optimistic of the day ever arriving.
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“We’ve been in there at Conti level for a long time,” the Irish legend explained.
“We’ve been building over the last three or four years.
“We’ve had a good team; we’ve been winning some good races and turning riders over to the next level and it’s a time where you’d like to move on.
“For Kurt, he’s the one who’s really putting in a lot of work in the last years. He does a huge amount of work within the team and that’s his dream.
Sam Bennett's Tour of Britain stage win was one of the biggest for the team, but the squad has punched well above its weight in many races.
“Sponsors are interested but to get a good enough sponsor….there’s no point moving into ProConti if you’re at the bottom of the barrel,” continued Kelly.
“You have to be up there in the top third where you can win some races.
“It’s all about your budget. If you’ve the budget you can get the riders and there’ll be opportunities out there; you can build a really nice team.
“In the past we’ve had contacts with sponsors and had meetings with sponsors but unfortunately the budget hasn’t been big enough.
“I don’t want to be ProConti just for the name; we do it right or don’t bother.
“You need to have a budget where you can afford the riders, then you can win races and get the wild cards to events like the Classics, Flanders, and some of the other stage races.”
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