Matt Teggart won't be 21 years old until January but he's already amassed plenty experience of racing abroad with his French-based club team AC Bisontine and the Irish junior and U23 national teams (Photo: Sean Rowe)
By Brian Canty
Matt Teggart has described his move to An Post Chain Reaction as an opportunity he couldn’t turn down and among his main goals next year is to do well in the Euro and World U23 championships.
The 20-year old spent this season at French DN2 squad AC Bisontine but it was on national duty with Ireland where he impressed his new team’s manager Kurt Bogaerts enough to be awarded a contract for 2017.
“I had a few offers from some French DN1 teams and also back with AC Bisontine but the offer from An Post was really too good an opportunity to turn down,” he said.
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“Once they came along there was really no other option. The decision was an obvious one,” he concluded.
Teggart rode for Ireland at the World Championships in Doha last month where a crash in the sprint ruled him out of contention for a top result.
He also wore the green of Ireland at the An Post Rás, Nations Cup and European Championships.
Matt Teggart salutes Irish teammate Eddie Dunbar after the latter won stage seven of the An Post Rás this year in Baltinglass, Co. Wicklow. Teggart has never shied away from team duties and with An Post Chain Reaction next year he'll get his fair share again. (Photo credit: DC Images)
“I think 2016 was a very successful year. I progressed a lot from 2015 and got so much stronger,” he reckoned.
“I gained much more experience with being in France and riding big races and I had a few good results.
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“It was an absolute honour to perform on the biggest of stages," he said of riding the Europeans and Worlds for Ireland.
“The big goal next year will be the learning experience; to learn to race at the highest level week in week out and to race as a team.
“I'd also aim to do well in the U23 ranks - the Worlds, Euros and Nations Cups; trying to grab a result at that level would be massive.”
Teggart comes from a strong cycling background and his dad Neil is a former international who rode the Rás in 1998 for the Irish team and also rode the Commonwealth Games the same year, finishing 16th with Stuart O'Grady in 15th.
Unfortunately for the former, his career was cut short just as it was starting to take off as he developed a serious back injury which forced him to stop cycling in 1998.
Teggart: “I've a lot to live up to and it's certainly not easy trying to live up to the family's name.”
Teggart’s uncle David was also an Irish International and widely regarded as one of the most talented riders of his generation.
He rode the Commonwealth Games twice, in 1982 and 2002, and was picked to go to the Olympics in 1984 but crashed in the Rás two weeks beforehand, fracturing his scull which forced him out for a number of years.
Teggart’s grandfather Noel won the Irish national road race championships twice, the second on the same day Sean Kelly became junior national champion.
“I don't think he raced Sean much but Sean has mentioned him to me before and said how good he was,” said Teggart jnr.
Noel also went to the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich but sadly he developed cancer and passed away when Matthew was young.
“I've a lot to live up to and it's certainly not easy trying to live up to the family's name,” laughed Teggart.
“But I'm always told it's all in my blood and I should have the perfect genes!”
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