Irish cyclist Jake Gray will be riding in the pro bunch when the flag drops for the European road racing season. He has just secured a place on a UCI Continental team (Photo: Bryan Keane - Inpho)
One of Ireland’s top young cyclists in the U23 ranks, Jake Gray has secured a pace with the Ribble Pro Cycling team.
The squad, which competes at Continental level, is based in the UK. It competes both in Britain and on the international racing scene.
Gray has been based in France in recent years, competing for VC Toucy since leaving the junior ranks at the end of 2016.
And his securing a place with Ribble Pro Cycling comes after he has developed well in France and become a permanent fixture in the Irish U23 team.
Advertisement
The team confirmed the news in a statement today, adding Gray would combined Irish team appearances with trade team commitments in the year ahead.
“I’m super excited to become part of Ribble Pro Cycling,” third year U23 Gray said of the move.
“I’ll be doing everything I can to ensure a successful season for myself, the team and my new teammates.
“I’ve learned a lot over the past few seasons and I am grateful to Ribble Pro Cycling for the faith and opportunity they have given me.”
Related News
Jake Gray won some of the hardest races for juniors with riding for the Nicolas Roche PT, including the nationals and the Shay Elliott (Photo: Sean Rowe)
The team’s principal manager Tom Timothy said they were very pleased to add the Irishman.
“When the final spot became available the team faced a really difficult decision on who to fill it,” he said.
“From initial conversations with Jake it was clear he is a dedicated and experienced rider. His skill set will really compliment the teams’ existing riders.
“Despite his relative young age, he has had a wealth of experience and brings with him an excellent ability to read a race.”
Impressive record already
Jake Gray was an outstanding junior, topping the Cycling Ireland rankings and also taking the national road race crown.
Having ridden for NRPT-Magnet.ie as a junior, he headed immediately for France and now has two years of European racing under his belt.
His move to Ribble looks like a fantastic one for him. Gray will look to compete to win some races in Britain and compete well abroad with the Irish U23 team.
He has already starred in the national team in the Nations Cup events and will look to do so again this year.
Gray, and the other U23s, will also hopefully get a chance to gain selection for the Europeans, Worlds and Tour de l’Avenir.
He's ridden the Rás Tailteann on the Irish team for the last two seasons. And he rode the Worlds and the Europeans as a junior.
Topics
