Aaron Gate brings a strong road and track pedigree to An Post-Sean Kelly
The An Post-Sean Kelly team has signed Olympic and World Championship track medallists in the shape of New Zealand internationals Aaron Gate and Shane Archbold. News of the signings has emerged in the New Zealand media this morning.
The riders are no strangers to the Irish cycling scene, having ridden the An Post Rás in 2011. Archbold won the points classification and Gate was second, while Gate also won the U23 classification.
Both riders have raced with the national New Zealand set-up in Europe in recent years. More recently, Archbold has ridden some of the 2012 season with the ‘Marco Polo Cycling Donckers Koffie’ team.
Both have serious pedigrees and their signing for the team is a boost to the Sean Kelly-led Continental squad.
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Archbold won a silver medal in the omnium at the World Track Championships in 2011 and is also a former winner of the World Cup omnium. He rode the London Olympics, where he was 7th in the omnium.
Gate is also equally comfortable on the track as on the road and he was part of New Zealand’s bronze medal-winning line-up in the team pursuit in London.
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Both riders are still being developed by the New Zealand cycling federation – Bike NZ - which has reached agreement with An Post-Sean Kelly to allow the duo join the team slightly later in the new season to enable them meet track commitments.
Both will ride for New Zealand at the World Track Championships in Belarus in February and will then debut on the roads of Europe in the An Post-Sean Kelly colours in April.
BikeNZ high performance director Mark Elliott told New Zealand media he felt Gate’s and Archbold’s signing for the Irish-Belgian team was a great move that would help them to continue developing with a team with a strong programme of racing.
"I think it also demonstrates that riding successfully on the track and having opportunities on the road are not mutually exclusive," he said.
“One of the aims of the BikeNZ track programme is to assist with the development of the careers of our endurance track riders. This opportunity with An Post-Sean Kelly will assist in that regard.”
“Shane and Aaron will both acquit themselves well with the team and are excellent examples of the calibre of riders coming through our endurance programme and at the same time they will remain available for our track programme going forward.”
Archbold is currently riding the Tour of Southland in New Zealand. He is aiming to become world omnium champion next February while Gate also has his eye on the rainbow jersey in the team pursuit.
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