Darragh O'Mahony is just one of the emerging young Irish riders named in the Spin11.com team for the Tour de Hokkaido in Japan in three weeks (Photo: Sean Rowe)
A strong team from Ireland has been selected for the Tour de Hokkaido; the latest foreign assignment at which riders based on the domestic scene get to go head to head against a quality international field.
The invite to the race has been secured by for Rás winner Brian Connaughton and the custom clothing company owned by the Connaughton and Cassidy families – Spin11.com – is sponsoring the selection.
It supplies clothing to the Irish team and customised kit to sportives and clubs throughout the country.
While it was initially envisaged the team would be a national selection, it proved easier to enter a regional team, with the outfit now travelling to Japan next month as Dublin Spin11.com.
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Craig McAuley is one of the country’s best young riders and he deservedly gets the nod for Japan (Photo: Sean Rowe)
But given the riders selected to compete in the four-stage event, there is very much a national team feel to the line-up.
On the start list are: Chris McGlinchey (ChainreactionCycles), Daire Feeley (iTap), Ronan McLaughlin (Foyle CC), Darragh O’Mahony (O’Leary Stone Kanturk)and Craig McAuley (Caldwell Cycles).
The Japanese race is a four-stage event over three days starting on September 1st and taking in plenty of climbing.
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The event begins with a 1km TT on Thursday, September 1st, in Sapporo City with a 111km road stage from there to Kutchan Town in the afternoon.
The following day the stage starts and finishes in Kutchan Town, with 180km to be negotiated.
The race concludes on Saturday, September 3rd, with a huge 219km return leg from Kutchan Town to Sapporo City.
Ronan McLaughlin has been going very well and is a vastly experienced rider at this level (Photo: Andrew Glendinning – Source Studios)
“The three road stages have a lot of climbing so it appears to be a race for mountain men,” said Connaughton.
“I’m looking forward to working with our team who are all very young progressive riders with the exception of Ronan MC Laughlin.”
He added while McLaughlin had already on the Continent for a number of years with An Post-Chainreaction, and was now back racing at home and working full time he was still in great shape and would act as an inspiration for many Irish riders.
“He took his chance at the pro scene and gave it a big effort. Now he is at home working and racing and enjoying the sport like so many fantastic Irish riders have done over the years.”
And Connaughton said McLaughlin was a perfect example to others that they could race at a high level – and even compete abroad from time to time and gain national selection – whether they were based abroad full time or racing as amateurs at home.
He added Cycling Ireland president Ciaran McKenna was looking for more events to sign teams from Ireland to.
“That’s exactly the approach we need in Irish cycling and strengthen the depth in quality of our riders,” he said.
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