An Post-Sean Kelly’s Irish riders with new Vitus bikes and kit + Sean Kelly’s foot steering

Sean Downey is looking lean and ready to go; he’s heading into his second year with the team and hoping to take a step up in 2013

The An Post-ChainReactionCycles team is currently getting in some miles in Calpe, Spain, ahead of its assault on the rapidly approaching new season. In the last few weeks we were first here on stickybottle to bring you the team’s new kit for the season ahead and news that they’ll be riding Vitus bikes.

Here’s the first few publicity shots that have come out of the training camp in the past few days. They show Ronan McLaughlin, Sean Downey and Sam Bennett in the new-look gear and also on their new Vitus bikes, which have been given the ‘An Post green’ spray job.

We also have a few shots here of Sean Kelly in the kit and steering one of the Vitus Sean Kelly Ltd Edition bikes with his feet; he never lost it!

Unfortunately we have not yet been able to get our hands on photos of the team’s newest signing from Ireland, the very promising teenager Jack Wilson.

Manager Kurt Bogaerts is very pleased with the squad he has at his disposal and believes his charges are capable of building on what they achieved last year.

“I am very happy with the signings we have made. I think they will add to the experience and talent we already have in the squad I believe we can build on last season and progress even further.”

“Everyone is healthy and fit. We are having an excellent training camp in Calpe so we are excited for the season ahead and we are just looking forward to the first race now”.

The team’s first outing will be at the one-day GP d’Ouverture La Marseillaise (1.1) on January 27th, followed by the five-day stage race at the Etoile de Besseges (2.1) from the January 30th to February 3rd. The Irish-Belgian squad has also confirmed it will ride the five-day Tour of Algarve (2.1) from February 13th to 17th.

Thanks to Barry Meehan of http://www.worldwidecycles.com and stickybottle columnist for the photos of Kelly from Spain. Photos of the team riders come courtesy of http://www.at-evh.be

Sam Bennett bagged some great results last year and is looking to hit the ground running in the next few weeks

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