Having backed the Rás for years and then the youth Talent Team 2020 concept, FBD has decided to bow out after what has been a great contribution to Irish cycling.
By Brian Canty
The future of competitive youth cycling in Ireland has suffered a setback with news that FBD has decided not to renew its sponsorship of the Talent Team 2020.
It had been hoped the insurance company that previously backed the Rás would continue supporting the project after the initial deal expired at the end of this year.
The project aims to take into a supportive environment youth riders who show promise and to organise racing and training trips both at home and abroad.
In a statement released today, national youth coach Martin O’Loughlin expressed his gratitude for FBD’s help over the past three years.
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“FBD have decided not to renew our sponsorship now that their three year commitment has conclude," read the statement.
With FBD's backing, the young riders in the Talent Team have gotten fantastic racing and training experience abroad, with the emphasis on teaching them to look after themselves. Above, Aaron Swan in action for the team last year.
“I would like to thank FBD for the massive boost they gave us by supporting us from the beginning.
"With their help, we were able to put an ambitious programme in place.
"Youth cycling is a minority part of a minority sport and doesn't get too many column inches.
"FBD knew this from the outset and their money was a godsend when we were starting out.
“We won many races over the three years. But more importantly, we learned a great deal about our sport.
"Nobody was prouder than me when our first team captain Mark Downey won a silver medal in the European Championships points race,” O’Loughlin said of Downey’s ride this year having graduated from U16 into the junior ranks after a period in the youth talent team.
Jake Gray on the front of the decisive breakaway on the final stage of the Youth Tour of Scotland last year, with stage winner and FBD Talent Team 2020 team mate Michael O’Loughlin in third place. The Irish have won stages and most of the final classification jerseys since the inception of the talent team concept.
"We also congratulate Josie Knight on her magnificent silver medal in the individual pursuit,” he added in reference to the Dingle teenager who was a member of the talent team just last year.
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Knight won her medal at the Europeans in Portugal this summer; the same meeting where Downey took his silver and where U23 rider Eoin Mullen took bronze in the sprint.
"Michael O' Loughlin was another rider who stepped up from the talent team and finished 8th in the World Time Trial Championships,” added O’Loughlin.
However, O’Loughlin Snr stressed the show would go on, with the programme currently looking for another sponsor.
Get in there: Ireland’s Emily Birchall of the Neenan Travel Talent Team 2020 takes the opening stage of the Youth Tour of Scotland in Perth last year (Photo: Youth Tour of Scotland)
The girls’ version of the talent team has been backed by well known cycling travel agent Neenan Travel.
O’Loughlin said he and all of the riders were very grateful for the support from Alan Neenan.
The talent team for 2015 has not yet been announced but O’Loughlin and fellow coach Nicola McKiverigan will be naming the squad in coming weeks.
It will consist of one team of around 12 riders, with a mix of eight boys and four girls looking likely. Riders born in 1999 and 2000 will fill the panel.
And O’Loughlin said while some will be disappointed not to gain selection, riders not named can ride their way onto the team by outperforming those included from the outset.
That's how we roll: Adam Stenson was not selected for the first Talent Team but blasted his way into the line-up with consistent, strong performances. He was leader of the team in Belgium this summer when he won a race featuring over 100 riders.
"Adam Stenson is the best example of this,” O’Loughlin said the Lucan CRC teenager.
“He was very disappointed not to make the first pick in 2012, but by 2014 he was our team captain and won a 112-rider race in Belgium.
"We will be working with the provincial academies to support those on the next rung of the Cycling Ireland development pathway.
"And we will run some extra workshops for girls born in 2001, 2002 and 2003 as some provinces don't have large numbers.”
While the exit of FBD is disappointing, they have put a huge amount of money into cycling down the years, and did so in the years before the cycling boom and long before the sport was in vogue.
Indeed, some of those who work for FBD gave their time to go on the Rás for years and really got behind the company's sponsorship of the event, effectively becoming part off the cycling community in the process.
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