Eddie Dunbar and Matt Teggart, both of whom have been named on the Irish team for the Rás (Photo: Martine Verfaillie)
Less than 24 hours after it emerged Eddie Dunbar would ride the An Post Rás and would do so as part of the Irish team, the full national squad line-up for the race later this month has been named.
As well as Dunbar’s name on the team sheet, also included are U23 riders Chris McGlinchey, Mark Downey and Matthew Teggart, as well as the experienced Ronan McLaughlin.
The latter is a former An Post-Chainreaction rider with years of experience racing abroad who has excelled in the Rás in the past and will help galvanise the efforts of his team mates in the green jerseys.
Michael O’Loughlin had been provisionally earmarked to ride the race with the Irish team if his Team Wiggins commitments allowed.
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However, the team’s programme has clashed with the Rás and so he will not ride the Irish race.
Cycling Ireland’s technical director Brian Nugent said Dunbar’s training ride crash last month in which he broke a collarbone meant he would not ride the Tour of California as planned for his trade team Axeon Hagens Berman.
However, his recovery had progressed well enough for him to ride the Rás with the Irish team.
“It is an unexpected boost for us to have him on the team,” Nugent said. “It has been a surprise how quickly he has been healing up.
“After sustaining a broken collarbone, he was back out training on the road within a week and he isn’t in any real pain at all.
“It will be fantastic to have him on the team. The race will suit him down to the ground and he will certainly be aggressive.”
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Nugent described as “a raw talent” McGlinchey, who switched from downhill racing to the road last year and has since represented Ireland on the road several times and won Kerry Group Rás Mumhan at Easter.
“He is the guy who will probably benefit the most from spending a week with the likes of Ronan McLaughlin and the team manager, David McCann,” said Nugent.
“He will learn so much, especially as he hasn’t had the exposure of the other guys in Europe yet.”
And Nugent believes young Downey, a second year U23 rider now based in France, could also ride very well in the Rás.
“He is in Majorca at the moment with our under 23 track team, which is preparing for the Europeans,” said Nugent.
“But he also has a heavy focus on the road at this point before the Rás.”
He added Teggart was a similarly exciting young prospect.
“Matt has also been racing in the same area in France and following a good path.
“He has a lot of class and is a great bike rider. He would have had bigger results by now if he hadn’t had some misfortune.”
This year’s An Post Rás will total almost 1240 kilometres, and will include 25 categorised climbs. The race will roll out from Dublin Castle on Sunday May 22nd, with the venue chosen to mark the 2016 Easter Rising commemorations.
The world-ranked event will feature stage finishes in Multyfarnham, Charleville, Dingle, Sneem, Clonakilty, Dungarvan and Baltinglass before concluding in Skerries on May 29th.
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