The men in green have always done well in the Rás and will target more success the week after next
The An Post-Chainreaction team for the Rás has been named, with Sam Bennett, Ronan McLaughlin and Sean Downey all part of the provisional line-up as expected.
There is no room in the team this year for the squad’s only other Irish rider Jack Wilson. However, he has made a seamless transition into the pro ranks this year, has already ridden the U23 World Championships and is being held back from the race this year to allow him develop.
Manager Kurt Bogaerts has today named six riders in the provisional team for the race starting on Sunday week in Dunboyne, Co Meath. However, with only five places, one name will be dropped after this weekend.
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The other three in the running are Briton Mark McNally, Kiwi Shane Archbold and Belgian Nicolas Vereecken.
Archbold is a very good sprinter and has ridden the Rás before, taking the points classification two years ago. If he is included, it will be interesting to see how Bogaerts manages the sprinting talents of both Archbold and Bennett.
McNally has ridden the race before and as a very strong rider he is likely to be favoured again once he is fully fit, which means the last place will likely come down to a choice between Archbold and Vereecken. However, the riders have some niggling injuries, a factor that may yet shape the team. The three Irish riders will be in the team barring some last minute mishap, Bogaerts has confirmed.
The team has won the race outright twice; with Stephen Gallagher in 2008 and Gediminas Bagdonas in 2011 and will be out to repeat that and take some stage wins.
“We will make the final selection based on the outcome of the Rund um Koln in Germany on Sunday,” Bogaerts said.
“Normally the three Irish riders will be part of the squad, though. Sean Downey is coming into shape, finishing fifth in the Circuit de Wallonie on Sunday. That finished on a really steep climb like Seskin Hill and you cannot hide on a course like that, you need really good legs. So I’m pleased with his form."
“Sam Bennett had a tough start to the season as he had an operation on his knee in the winter, but he has been making progress. He was sick a couple of weeks ago but is now healthy again. He has been training a lot and also going to the gym, and I see him as our sprinter for the flat stages.”
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“Ronan McLaughlin had a really good start of the season. He is really preparing well for the An Post Rás. He is missing a bit of race rhythm because he trained a lot, but his form should be going up.”
McLaughlin will be fired up to perform in the race, particularly after a superb solo break last year which fell just 200 metres short of earning him a stage win into Bundoran. Bennett was second on the final stage into Skerries and previously won a stage in the race in 2009 aged 18 years of age. Downey was eleventh overall in the race two years ago and placed third in the U23 classification.
Bogaerts said Archbold had some issues this year with his Achilles tendon and McNally had also some small problems, but that both riders appear to be coming around.
“McNally is a very strong rider, so hopefully he gets ready in time. As for Archbold – if he was 100 per cent in shape, I think he would be the best guy for the Rás stages. We will see now in the next week. He is a very aggressive rider and also a good sprinter. He can go in the breaks too.”
“Nicolas, the Belgian guy, he has been one of my strongest riders all season, he rides very consistently. He is a good climber, a good sprinter; a real all-rounder.”
He added that team leadership should become clearer as the race unfolds.
“We don’t have any one rider who stands out as a big contender for the overall, but each of the five guys are capable of winning the general if things play out right.”
“I think the team is more suited to taking stage wins, but I wouldn’t rule the overall out. The best approach is that we will concentrate on stages and on trying to be on the podium as much as possible. The general classification could then take care of itself after that.”
Race director Tony Campbell is keen to see how the team performs.
“The An Post riders always give everything to ride well, and have had some very good results in the past with two overall victories and numerous stages. We know they will be highly motivated to ride well, and they should have a very big effect on the overall and stage results.”
We’ll bring you lots more on the domestic riders next week, with team details and some rider profiles to build towards the start next weekend.
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