The Ras field heads for Glengarriff in 2011 (Photo courtesy of An Post Ras)
We’ve put together a comprehensive list of rider transfer and team news for the Irish at home and abroad. If we’re missing anyone, just drop us a line and we’ll update this piece.
An Post Sean Kelly Team (selected riders only):
Sam Bennett, Ronan McLaughlin and Connor McConvey have all re-signed.
Sean Downey is a new signing for next year.
Mark Cassidy is expected to re-sign for next year but that is not yet confirmed.
Philip Lavery’s position with the team for the 2012 season is unclear.
Mark McNally had been offered a contract with Europcar but they failed to secure a ProTour licence and this seems to have put on hold some of their planned rider recruitment, including McNally’s.
Gediminas Bagdonas had been offered a contract with Spanish outfit Geox but now the sponsor has pulled out, throwing the team’s existence into doubt. The latest development is that the team principals are desperately trying to find another sponsor.
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Anthony Walsh, who rode for UCD in 2011, has decided to take himself to France next year having completed his studies to be a barrister. He will ride for Apoge Super U Cycliste near Bordeaux.
Aaron Buggle is moving from UV Aube to Apoge Super U Cycliste near Bordeaux, where he will ride alongside Anthony Walsh.
Adam Armstrong, who topped the rider rankings at home after a great 2011 season, may be moving from Eurocycles to a Continental registered team.
Jack Wilson, the national junior champion in 2010, will spend his first year as a senior next year with the USC Crabbe Performance Voo in Limburg, Belgium.
Ryan Mullen, the current national junior champion, is planning to stay with Planet X for the first months of next season before joining Jack Wilson at USC Crabbe Performance Voo in Limburg, Belgium
Martyn Irvine’s plans for next year are still undecided and it is anything but certain that he will remain at Giant Kenda.
David McCann is still with Giant Kenda but his plans for next year are not yet confirmed.
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Stephen Halpin has signed for new UK pro team Metaltek-SCOTT and will ride mainly in the UK next year, but also with stage races in France and Spain in his programme.
Siobhan Dervan-Horgan, the women’s road race champion, is staying with her French squad Team GSD Gestion.
Nicholas Roche is staying with Ag2r but looks set to relinquish some leadership duties to focus more on stage wins in races rather than GC. This tactic worked very well at the Tour of Beijing, bagging a stage win for a rider whose natural race style is one of aggression.
Damien Shaw (Lakeside) and Ryan Sherlock (SportActive) are both said to be looking for teams next year, with a move into Continental level believed to be favoured by both.
Dan Martin is staying with Garmin Cervelo and may bypass the Tour de France next year and opt instead for a tilt at the Giro or Vuelta, where the ramps are steeper than on the Tour de France route.
Philip Deignan has moved from Radioshack to US-based Pro Continental team Unitedhealthcare, where he will assume a team leadership role. He will be based mainly in the US, but the team will also ride major races in Europe.
Matt Brammeier has moved from the now defunct HTC-Highroad to new entity Omega Pharma-Quickstep. He is back training again after an operation to remove a pin from his femur.
Felix English has signed for UK continental squad Rapha Condor-Sharp and will ride mainly in the UK next year, with some assignments further afield.
Peter Hawkins, the former national criterium champion, will ride next year with British continental outfit Team Sigma Sport Specialized.
Darragh Zaidan, who has represented Ireland, is moving from Stevens-Cyclelogical to VC Morteau in France for 2012.
Claire Oakley, the 18-year-old who holds junior national titles for mountain biking, cyclocross, track and road, will remain at WXC Mountain Bike Team UK. She has also just become involved in the Offroad2Rio project, which is aimed at qualifying female riders for future Olympics.
Stephen Clancy, voted Irish-based rider of the year for the season just gone, will move from Limerick CC to the team that was known as The Edge this year.
Dectek – The technology company has ended its association with Dunboyne-Clonee CC but is soon expected to announce details of other cycling ventures for next year.
Dunboyne-Clonee CC (sponsored by Dectek in 2011) – Is expected to announce a new sponsor shortly, believed to be a well known retailer.
SportActive – It’s unclear if the team will continue next year in its current guise.
The Edge – The Tim Barry run outfit has parted company with its sponsor of the past two years, The Edge triathlon shops. It’s expected to make an announcement very soon about two new sponsors, one of which is a cycling company.
Conor Dunne – is staying with his 2011 team in Belgium next year 'Vl Technics - Abutriek'. The squad has been reduced to 20 riders instead of 30 and is looking to increase its programme further.
Eoin McCarthy – will continue to ride for ASFRA Racing Team-Flanders based in Oudenaarde, Belgium, where he spent the 2011 season.
