Though currently recovering from a broken collar bone after a crash while out training at home in Cork last month, Eddie Dunbar has been selected for the Irish national team for one of the top races on the US calendar, the 1.1-ranked Philadelphia International Cycling Classic (Photo: Martine Verfaillie)
By Brian Canty
A six-man Irish team will take part in one of the top single-day races in the US next month, the Philadelphia International Cycling Classic.
National road race champion Damien Shaw (An Post Chainreaction) will spearhead the line-up for the race on Sunday June 5th.
UCD-Fitzcycles.ie pair Eoin Morton and Ian Richardson are also selected, along with Daire Feeley (iTap), Michael O’Loughlin (Team WIGGINS) and Eddie Dunbar (Axeon Hagens Berman).
Dunbar will be making a welcome return after his training ride crash last month when he broke his collar bone.
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It’s a squad laced with ability and they’ll take on the likes of established American teams UnitedHealthcare, Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis and Holowesko-Citadel p/b Hincapie.
The Irish team are just one of a number travelling from outside the US, with Spanish Pro-Continental outfit Caja Rural-Seguros RGA among those making the trip to Pennsylvania.
They have the defending champion Carlos Barbero in their ranks and will be back to try and collect another title.
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Some of those who have won in recent years include Kiel Reijnen (UnitedHealtchcare), Greg Henderson (Lotto-Soudal), Matti Breschel (Cannondale) and former Milan San Remo winner Matt Goss (Dimension Data).
Lance Armstrong is also a previous winner of the event.
The UCI 1.1-ranked race will see 19 teams of six men race for 176km; completing nine laps of the course with a spectacular finish at the top of the Manayunk Wall.
The 19.7km circuit will loop through Philadelphia, finishing at the top of The Wall.
The riders will battle for KOMs on Lemon Hill and the Manayunk Wall with a sprint zone located along Kelly Drive.
The goal of the event from an Irish perspective is to give experience to the younger riders while also challenging for a result.
The men in green will fly out to the US on Wednesday June 1st, just three days after the An Post Rás.
List of teams competing
• Amore & Vita Selle Italia (Ukraine)
• Astellas Cycling Team (USA)
• Caja Rural Seguros (Spain)
• Cylance-Cannondale Pro Cycling p/b Incycle (USA)
• Cycling Academy-Cannondale (Israel)
• Elevate Pro Cycling p/b Bicycle World (USA)
• H & R Block (Canada)
• Holowesko | Citadel Racing Team p/b Hincapie Sportswear (USA)
• Irish National Team (Ireland)
• Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis (USA)
• Lupus Racing Team (USA)
• Team Novo Nordisk (USA)
• Quebecor Garneau (Canada)
• Silber Pro Cycling (Canada)
• Team Illuminate (USA)
• Team Jamis (USA)
• Rally Cycling (USA)
• UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team (USA)
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