Irish international Stephen Halpin has signed for newly formed UK pro outfit Metaltek-SCOTT, the team announced today.
The 23-year-old Dubliner will ride the 2012 season based on British Premier Calendar races supplemented by stage races in France and Spain. He will also ride events like the Halfords crit series and An Post Ras.
Halpin told stickybottle he was “delighted” with the move.
“We’re having a team building session at Christmas time and then it’s straight into the Tour of Majorca in the New Year,” he said.
“We’ll obviously be riding the Premier Calendar and the crits in Britain but there will stage races in Spain and France as well. The Ras is a goal for the team too. Dale Appleby won the young riders category a few years back so we’ll be looking to do a good ride there.”
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Halpin has been based in Belgium for much of his senior career, riding with the Rogelli team for 18 months until the middle of last year. He them joined the An Post-Sean Kelly team for the second half of 2010.
However, an ankle injury followed by a viral infection ruined the last months of the 2010 season and wrecked 2011 for him.
He said he overdid his comeback after his injury, which brought on a viral infection that lasted for months.
“I’ve only been able to get back into the training in the past few months. So I’m very comfortable with where I am now, with the new team. I’m looking forward to the season ahead and having a year that’s illness free and injury free.”
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Metaltek-SCOTT is made up of the nucleus of the existing CyclePremier.com–Metaltek Pro Cycling Team, which counted former Ras winner Stephen Gallagher as a member this year. It has been riding in the UK for the past two years.
Metaltek has now teamed up with bike manufacturers SCOTT to form the new team.
Its best known rider is Tony Gibb, the sprint specialist and former silver medalist in the World Track Championships scratch race.
As well as signing Halpin, the team has also just signed Perfs Pedal winner Ben Stockdale and crit specialist Marcel Six.
In Belgium with the An Posts last season before injury and illness struck
Riding for Ireland in the Junior World Championships
In his old club colours of McNally Swords CC
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