Bryan McCrystal (left) and Damien Shaw are among a small group of Ireland's top riders who have formed a new team with American commercial backing (Photo: Marian Lamb - Cycling Ulster)
By Brian Canty
A new six-man domestic racing team will be launched tomorrow, with several of the country's best riders in the line-up.
Damien Shaw, Chris Reilly, Roger Aiken, Bryan McCrystal, Ali Macauley and Joe Fenlon will join forces to make up ‘Team Asea’.
It will aim to race both at home and abroad in 2015.
The news is exciting for the riders who between them have won most of Ireland’s major races in recent years.
For many, Roger Aiken (in black) was the man of the race during the An Post Rás 2013.
However, the departure of Shaw, Fenlon and McCrystal from Aquablue some just weeks after national vets’ champion Keith Gater and top sprinter Robin Kelly is a blow to the Cork-based squad.
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It will force team principal Tim Barry into rebuilding mode, though the former international has built several teams in recent years and will still have some very strong riders next year.
Aiken, who leaves Banbridge CC after many years, and promising rider Macauley, formerly of Phoenix CC, give the team some quality strength in depth.
Asea is an American-based company in the health and wellness industry.
Manufactured in Salt Lake City, Utah it is the only known product in the world that repairs the body at a cellular level and aids the body to use its own tools to recover, thus enabling rapid repair.
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Ali Macauley has taken some good wins of late. Seen here leading the breakaway at the national championships last year (Photo: Marian Lamb - Cycling Ulster)
And when they approached Shaw and McCrystal to be ambassadors for the brand in Ireland next year, that paved the way for the team to be formed.
The new squad will race mainly at home but they are hopeful of riding some races on the Continent, as the company are keen to push their product into more European markets.
Reilly had committed to ride for Aquablue in 2015 after leaving Liquidworx-Fitscience.
But when the offer came to ride for Asea, the Bohermeen opted for them instead.
Chris Reilly seemed to be on his way to Aquablue but those plans have changed. Seen here in the climbers’ jersey at the Suir Valley Three Day (Photo: Sean Rowe)
Shaw and McCrystal said they were both users of Asea’s products, which claim to boost recovery.
Said Shaw: “It’s a product that myself and Bryan have been using for the last year or so and we just worked a little bit with the company and they want to use us an example of how their product works,” he said.
“It’s exciting, we’ve a strong team and it should be a good year.”
We’ll have more from the team’s launch which takes place this weekend in Germany, where the company has its European headquarters.
Joe Fenlon winning a stage of the Tour of Ulster in 2013, which he went on to win overall. The former national vets' champion brings serious horsepower to the party (Photo: Marian Lamb – Cycling Ulster)
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