Action from last year’s race as the riders come off Healy Pass (Photo: Inpho/Lorraine O’Sullivan)
Three of the four Irish riders racing with UK teams this season have been confirmed as starters in the An Post Ràs, which gets underway in just over four weeks time.
Stephen Halpin (Metaltek SCOTT), Peter Hawkins (IG Sigma Sport) and Felix English (Rapha Condor-Sharp) have all been name on their respective teams for the eight day race.
Philip Lavery is also expected to travel to Ireland with his NODE4-Giordana team, with its line-up for the Ràs to be confirmed a little closer to the event.
English scored his first road win of the season with a great victory on the final stage of the ‘P&O Ferris Tour of the North’ at Easter. A very good sprinter, he is more than capable of mixing it up on some of the stages.
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His manager John Herety said he’s chosen a young team for the Ràs as part of Rapha Condor-Sharp’s focus on development this year, and will be targeting the Irish Sports Council U23 classification.
On the team with English will be ‘Tour of the North’ U23 classification winner Luke Grivell-Mellor, along with Richard Handley, Mike Cuming and Christopher Jennings.
IG Sigma Sport’s Irish rider Peter Hawkins has been in great form since his switch to the UK team for the 2012 season. His team in the Ràs also includes Dan Craven, who finished third on GC in 2010.
The 2009 GC winner Simon Richardson is also named in the Ràs selection and will lead the team, with the very strong line-up completed by Steve Lampier and Wouter Sybrandy.
Hawkins, a stage winner in the ‘Tour of the North’ this year, has told stickybottle that he feels his form is building for the Ràs and that he is very much looking forward to trying to make an impression on the race.
“We will obviously go into the race looking for an overall result on the GC,” said Becky Frewing, media manager of the IG Sigma Sport squad.
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Metaltek SCOTT’s Irish rider Stephen Halpin is also going well, having won a number of races on home soil this year. And after a couple of seasons hit by injury and illness he will be looking to show what he can do over the eight stages next month.
“Dale Appleby will be the team leader,” said manager Andy Swain.
“He is returning from a broken collarbone but is fired up for the Rás. We will be targeting stage podiums, a top fifteen in the overall classification and a challenge for the King of the Mountains.”
Swain and Halpin will compete alongside Rhys Lloyd, James Gullen and Ben Stockdale.
Dubliner Philip Lavery’s NODE 4-Giordana team has also been confirmed, though it has opted to wait a little longer before indicating its exact line up. However, the provisional selection at this stage is: Lavery, Marcin Bialoblocki, Peter Williams, James Sampson and David Clarke.
The team will be managed by former Vuelta points classification winner Malcolm Elliott. Lavery will be looking to put his stamp on the race, with his aggressive style likely to play well with the home fans.
Team UK Youth Pro Cycling has also been confirmed for the race and will be led by Swedish rider Freddy Johansson. He will be joined by fellow Swede Christofer Stevensson, Welsh national road race and criterium champion Gruff' Lewis, Jersey rider Richard Tanguy and Englishman James Lowsley-Williams.
Team manager Dave Poval said Johansson was a key member of the team when it won the race – as Team Sprocket – in 2010 with Alex Wetterhall.
“I think Freddy can take up the challenge and responsibility of leading our team this year, and I've selected a strong team to support him,” said Poval. “Christofer Stevensson also has the potential to win the race.”
An Post Rás race director Dermot Dignam said the five UK teams confirmed today all had the riders that could win the race outright.
“There are some very strong riders there, and many of them have ridden this race before. They know what the race is about, are aware of the tactics necessary for success, and will ride a very strong race next month. It wouldn’t be surprising at all if the final winner emerges from these teams.”
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