A new Irish racing team, sponsored by
Dublin Port and which aims to promote healthy and drug-free lifestyles, is set
to join the Irish peloton next year.
The new outfit, which features some of the
personnel from the Ciclotel Travel YPB 2019 squad, has already signed up
some riders.
However, a number of places are still open and the team is
now seeking expressions of interest from suitable riders.
The team’s riders will have full support at
all major Irish stage races and all National Road Series events.
The road race program includes international
races in the UK, Belgium and Holland. Furthermore, it will contest track
meetings at home and abroad.
Managed by Frank O’Leary, a former Cycling Ireland national
team coach, the squad is sponsored by Dublin Port and RDRD-The
Spellman Centre Dublin.
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The Spellman Centre is a drugs
rehabilitation organisation and is a central part of the Ringsend
and District Response to Drugs; based in Irishtown-Ringsend in Dublin’s south
inner city.
The new team is the brainchild of Therese and Joe Grennell of the Spellman Centre and will be managed
by O’Leary and Joe Grennell.
The squad has pulled off something of a coup in landing Dublin Port as a sponsor, with the business committing to backing the team for the next three seasons.
O’Leary told stickybottle the team aimed to start its first season with up to eight riders, adding it would then expand in the next couple of years.
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It has already signed up three of the
riders who won the national team pursuit titles over the past two years; Ryan
Byrne, Cian Keogh and Andre Grennell.
Grennell won team pursuit gold this year
and also took silver in the omnium championships.
Keogh had a breakthrough season on the road
in 2019 and was part of the team pursuit gold medal line-up in 2018.
Byrne rode with Grennell in the four-rider
line-up that won the team pursuit title in 2019 and he also took the green
jersey in Rás Mhaigh Eo
this year.
While the team’s purpose is to develop its
riders and win races, it will also promote the ethos of the Spellman Centre;
that of striving for a healthy lifestyle.
The purpose of the centre is to provide the
opportunity for men and women struggling with addiction to become drug-free and
to reach their potential.
Dublin Port’s involvement is also part of
that plan as the port is located in the same community as the Spellman Centre.
The team’s riders will have a full race
calendar together with responsibility to foster connections with young people
in the Dublin Port area.
It seems like a great opportunity to train,
race, and become involved in worthwhile social programmes while being fully
supported in developing your own cycling career.
Male road and track riders who are
interested in applying for a place on the team can send a CV to Frank O'Leary
at [email protected].
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