Irishman David Montgomery has been selected to ride the Rás for Team 3M but its other Irishman Connor McConvey, above, will not be back to attempt to better his second place in 2013 (Photo: Tour de Normandie)
The latest foreign squad to be added to the start-list for next month’s An Post Rás was named today, with exciting new Belgian Continental outfit Team 3M confirming their participation for the eight-day event from May 17th to 24th.
And they’ll have an Irishman making his debut in reigning national cyclocross champion David Montgomery, who may surprise many if he got a bit of luck on the road.
The Banbridge man was recruited by the team back in January and has been making steady progress on the road ever since.
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Last Saturday he competed for the Irish U23 team in the Tour of Flanders Nations Cup event, finishing 45th around six minutes down on the winner.
It was his first experience of racing abroad and as the best-placed Irishman he’ll have gained a great deal of confidence from that outing.
David Montgomery has a lot to learn on the road, but with his very big engine a hard Rás may well be the makings of him. Above, battling hard in the U23 Tour of Flanders last weekend for Ireland (Photo: Jens Morel)
The An Post Rás will be a huge challenge for him but with a strong team featuring former Rapha Condor rider Elliott Porter, mountain bike eliminator world champion Fabrice Mels and former junior world road race championship runners up, Martijn Degreve and Emiel Vermeulen, they can really influence things.
“The goals are to win a stage and to help Emiel Vermeulen and Elliott Porter to a top ten finish overall,” said the team’s general manager Bernard Moerman.
“We have a full-racing programme in Belgium, Holland and France to prepare for the month of May, as this is a very important month for Team3M.”
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One man who might have been expected to be included in the line-up is Belfast man Connor McConvey.
Team 3M are capable of making a big impact in Ireland next month. Above, Montgomery and McConvey; the two riders closest to camera left and right respectively (Photo: Team 3M)
The runner-up from 2013 is riding well for the team this year, almost winning stage of the Tour de Normandie last month. He would have been fancied to go for the yellow jersey again.
He has always performed very well in the race and is a hugely experienced rider having spent a number of years with both Synergy Baku and the An Post-Sean Kelly.
But it's expected he will be held by the team for races in the team's home country, such as the Tour of Belgium.
Additional strong international outfits will be announced in the run-up to the race.
The 2015 An Post Rás will begin in Dunboyne on May 17 and will feature stage finishes in Carlow, Tipperary, Bearna, Newport, Ballina, Ballinamore, Drogheda and Skerries.
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