Ireland’s EvoPro Racing only Continental team to get Flanders Classics invite

Fintan Ryan getting his tenure with EvoPro Racing underway the weekend before last in Belgium. The Wicklow road and track international is one of four Irish cyclists on the Irish Continental team this year (Photo: Martine Verfaillie)

Irish team EvoPro Racing has secured an invite from the Flanders Classic organisation to ride Scheldeprijs next month.

Flanders
Classics runs a series of top races including Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Gent-Wevelgem,
Dwars door Vlaanderen, Tour of Flanders, Scheldeprijs and Brabantse Pijl.

EvoPro Racing is the only
Continental level team to get an invite from the organisation that owns the 202.4km 1.Pro race and team co-founder
and directeur sportif Morgan Fox said he was delighted with the news.

He added with other Continental and ProContinental teams all trying to get into many of the biggest races in the sport it was a huge boost for his team.

*Scheldeprijs is one of the Flanders Classics and now Irish team EvoPro Racing has secured a place on the start line next month against the biggest teams in the world*

“This is groundbreaking for us as we have jumped in ahead of the big budget Conti French teams and also the Belgian and Dutch Conti teams,” Fox said.

“And it’s purely on merit, which is
rare these days. I can’t tell you how excited I am at the minute.”

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Fox’s team had a trying season last
year due to the Covid-19 pandemic which interrupted its plans as it was getting
on its feet after its first season in the sport in 2019.

However, while last year proved very
difficult to get a long run of races together, the team’s results in 2019 were
very impressive.

It began its 2019 campaign in New Zealand, taking 1st and
3rd in the Gravel and Tar Classic (1.2) via Luke Mudgway and Cyrus Monk. Aaron
Gate then took a stage in the New Zealand Cycle Classic (2.2) and won the race
overall.

Gate and Wouter Wippert then took three stages between
them in Belgrade Banjaluka (2.1); a race Gate only lost overall after a
puncture on the final stage having held the race lead all the way.

Harry Sweeny took a stage of Rhône-Alpes Isère Tour (2.2)
in France before Wouter Wippert claimed a stage in the Tour of Hungary (2.1).

Aside from the wins, the team also achieved a whole host
of podium placings – 25 in all – and a very large number top 10s.

The team counts four Irish riders
among its roster this year; Michael O’Loughlin, Fintan Ryan, Ben Walsh and Sean
Nolan.