The 18-year-old Corkman Eddie Dunbar will form part of a very strong NFTO Cycling team for what will be his debut An Post Rás in May (Photo: VeloUK.net)
Eddie Dunbar has been given the nod by his new UK-based Continental team, NFTO Cycling, to ride the An Post Rás for the first time after being named in their five-man line-up.
The former Irish junior international will be one of the youngest riders in this year’s race but having performed strongly so far this season the team clearly feels he is ready for the challenge.
The former O’Leary’s Stone Kanturk CC man will not turn 19 years until September but will not be intimidated by the opposition.
He has already taken some top results this year with a third in the Severn Bridge Road Race behind George Harper and Yanto Barker of ONE Pro Cycling.
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He also notched a top 10 in the Jock Wadley Memorial in Colchester, Essex. He was also 4th in his latest outing at the weekend.
Dunbar, front left, has fit in very well with his new team and his transition from the junior ranks to the UK elite scene has been seamless so far (Photo: VeloUK.net)
Dunbar will be joined by five others in the team including Steele Von Hoffe - the Australian former Garmin-Sharp WorldTour rider - Ian Bibby, Rob Partridge, Sam Harrison and James Lowsley-Williams
Bibby finished second on stage five and placed fourth overall in last year’s An Post Rás, and his experience will be a big asset to the team.
Rob Partridge took 3rd in 2008, 6th in 2010 and 14th overall last year. Sam Harrison and James Lowsley-Williams also have past history in the race.
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Harrison led the Irish Sports Council U23 competition early on during the 2013 edition and Lowsley-Williams too has valuable An Post Rás experience.
He played a vital role in the 2013 overall classification, helping then teammate Marcin Bialoblocki to win the race outright.
David McCarthty of JLT Condor has been selected for the squad to ride the An Post Rás. He was 10th in the Des Hanlon Memorial last weekend and looks to get coming into some good form (Photo: John Coleman)
Also confirmed for the eight-day showpiece which gets underway in less than two months is David McCarthy.
The former Standard Life-Nicolas Roche Performance Team man will be part of a youthful JLT-Condor team that includes 2014 British National U23 road race champion Ed Laverack, 2014 Stafford GP winner Luke Grivell Mellor, Dante Carpenter and Joe Moses.
With the exception of Moses, it’s the same team they’ll be sending to the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan next week.
The An Post Rás will begin in Dunboyne on May 17th and will feature stage finishes in Carlow, Tipperary, Bearna, Newport, Ballina, Ballinamore, Drogheda and Skerries.
The route is almost 1,200 kilometres in length and will include 21 categorised climbs.
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