While Mark Downey (leading) lost the Junior Tour of Ireland yellow jersey to Eddie Dunbar (in polka dot) NRPT-Standard Life manager Philip Finnegan said Dunbar is a once in a generation talent and that he was delighted with his own team's performance in the race last month and indeed all season long. (Photo: www.blackumbrellaphotohgraphy.com)
Manager of the Nicolas Roche Performance Team-Standard Life, Philip Finegan is hopeful of attracting more sponsors for next season and also gave strong indications that a senior team could emerge from the initiative.
The team has enjoyed a phenomenal debut season and to date has taken a staggering 17 wins, and Finegan said he's very pleased with how things have progressed.
"I think we've 17 wins so far so that’s not bad going and there’s a chance one or two of the team will ride the Worlds this year," he said.
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"The biggest objective for the year is learning. I would love us to be away more often but it’s always tough with a budget. I think we have given a good account of ourselves so far and hopefully next year we can step up financially."
"We’ve had a number of invites to races abroad next year already but the problem is, it’s people getting to know you and see that you are serious, that they know you're there. We've achieved that I think so hopefully we can keep building. Next year we hope to go away once a month to race if we can."
"I’m going to be looking at next year soon because we’ve four lads stepping into the senior ranks. We’ll be looking around the first week of September for applications; maybe taking on up to four more riders."
"If the budget increases from what we have this year we may look to increase the number of riders in the team and maybe have a senior and a junior team because we’ve been offered a link up with a team in France."
"That means if we have senior riders, we can have them over there as a base during the year and then have team events here; the likes of the Suir Valley and Rás Mumhan and the An Post Rás. But you really need to double the budget for that to happen."
"If that is the case and we have a senior team, we’ll probably look at having five senior riders that we can send to France and ride for a month at a time. But as regards the juniors, the way it is, if you’ve eight junior riders, you’ll always have one who’s injured or sick. So we’ll be looking for four new juniors for next year."
The Junior Tour just passed has been the obvious highlight for the team where they took two stage wins and a place on the podium, which was their stated goal.
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"We came out of it very well alright," Finegan says.
"When Mark (Downey) lost the jersey, the lads took it hard but I said to them ‘Eddie Dunbar is the best rider I’ve seen in 30 years so don’t be too hard on yourselves'. We just sat down and said we needed one or two stage wins and a podium finish on GC."
"So the next day we were second and third in the sprint and then the following day we were first and second. But Eddie's just a phenomenon and sometimes you just have to take your hat off and say the best rider won. He is a fantastic rider."
"I’m delighted for him. It’s great to be able to see a rider like that because we might not see his like again for 30 or 40 years. I have to be honest, even the way he conducts himself, he reminds me of a young (Sean) Kelly."
"Maybe he’s the young cannibal? If he’s looked after, and I think Dan (Curtin) knows what he has there. In an ideal world I’d love to take him away next year with Dan and Dylan (O’Brien) but I know Eddie is very close to Dan. So I don’t know if he’d come. But I know there are plenty who’ll have their eyes on him."
As regards his own involvement, Finegan said the job is time consuming but it’s a role he's relishing.
"It takes a lot of time but it’s just trying to give them something back and give them chances that maybe weren’t available 10 years ago in Ireland. We’ve great support and the Junior Tour showed how well the lads are going."
"Guys are always going to be a little bit disappointed about how they’re going but it’s all about encouragement, not the negatives. And they’re starting to blossom. You can see Fintan Ryan and David McCarthy getting much stronger now whereas at the start of the year Dylan Foley was going exceptionally well. That’s all we can ask for."
The team's next goals are the Junior Road Race Championships in Omagh this weekend, then the Tour of Wales and after that there's a stage race in France.
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