Conor Hennebry in yellow at the Wexford Two Day; just one of five young riders joining the ranks of Aquablue for next season (Photo: Sean Rowe)
Aquablue has finalised its line-up for the 2016 season with some exciting young talents joining what is an already formidable squad.
Staying put are Sean Lacey, Colm Cassidy, Greg Swinand, Anthony Walsh, John and Siobhan Horgan, Sean McKenna and Maurice Lawlor.
And if that group wasn’t strong enough, the team has added Matteo Cigala from Navan RC, Dylan O’Brien from O’Leary’s Stone Kanturk CC, Mark O’Callaghan from Limerick CC, Caimin Muldoon from Magnet.ie-NRPT and Conor Hennebry from Carrick Wheelers.
Dylan Foley missed most of the 2015 season with illness but is back training.
And though he’ll race sporadically with the team next year, he’ll be based in France for much of the season.
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Irish triathletes Chris Mintern and Bryan Keane are both heading into an Olympic year so won’t race very often with the team but are still on its roster.
Keane rode in the squad’s colours only last week at the cyclocross in Tallaght, Dublin.
Dylan O'Brien, riding for the Munster team, takes the final stage of the Junior Tour of Ireland last year (Photo: Stephen McMahon - Sportsfile)
National cyclocross champion Fran Meehan is committed to the Paralympic programme but will race in the familiar blue jersey when she lines out at home.
The cyclocross national championships in the New Year will be an obvious date in her diary.
One man who won’t be with the team next year is Cathal Moynihan after he decided to return to home club Tralee BC-Manor West Hotel.
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Aquablue will undoubtedly challenge for all the big races once again next year and the new signs bring in a formidable group of U23 riders.
That development is vital for planning for the future, though the new riders will want success immediately.
Caimin Muldoon, leading, is another very strong young rider joining Aquablue for next year having ridden for NRPT-Magnet.ie for the last couple of seasons (Photo: Sean Rowe)
Mark O’Callaghan only turns 19 years old this week but he really showed his class in the Kerry Group Ras Mumhan this year, challenging for general classification and the U23 jersey as a complete unknown.
Caimin Muldoon has decided to go full-time in 2016 so he’ll be looking to make the step up to the top of the U23 ranks in the same way Sean McKenna has in recent seasons.
Conor Hennebry joins after a great year that saw him win a stage and wear the leader’s yellow jersey in the Stafford Wholesale Wexford Two-Day, as well as represent Ireland at U23 level.
And Matteo Cigala, as a former Italian international, can win big races; his finishing kick in particular a potentially devastating asset to the team.
Dylan O’Brien was one of the very best juniors in the country last year, winning a stage in the Junior Tour and making the national team for a number of races including the World Championships.
He will feel he has a lot to offer next year and beyond and is the kind of rider who can excel under the watchful eye of team principal Timmy Barry.
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