Irish rider Ronan O'Connor has signed for the Italian Colpack Ballan team. It is a UCI Continental squad and is regarded as one of the best set-ups in Europe for developing U23 talent.
Its star rider this year, Spanish teenager Juan Ayuso, won the Baby Giro and signed for UAE Team Emirates after his first year at U23 level.
Another member of the team in 2021, Filippo Baroncini (21), won the Italian U23 TT title this year before being crowned World U23 TT champion in Belgium at season end.
The team rides a calendar of UCI-ranked races all over Europe each season, mostly in Italy and including the Baby Giro. It is rated among the best teams in the world for developing young talent, alongside US-based Hagens Berman Axeon.
Related News
O'Connor has been with the team in Bergamo, Italy, in recent days and has this evening been announced as a new signing for 2022, along with Spain's junior road race champion from 2019, Ruben Sanchez.
Advertisement
O'Connor, from Co Wicklow, has been riding for Orwell Wheelers at home in recent years. In 2020 he was crowned Irish junior road race champion in his first season in the junior category.
This year, while opportunities for international selection were limited, O'Connor was selected onto the Irish team for the road races at both the European and World championships, finishing both events.
He took silver in the junior TT at the National Road Championships in Co Wicklow this year and just missed out on a medal in the road race, where he took 4th.
O'Connor is currently in 6th year in secondary school and when his exams are completed next June he will give his full attention to racing. We'll catch up with him for an interview in coming days.
