Having come back to the sport of cycling in 2017 after a long absence, Robert Jon McCarthy will hope to crank up his results as he rides on the UK Continental scene in 2018.
Robert Jon McCarthy remains at JLT Condor
Having proven a wise transition in the development of Eddie Dunbar and Ryan Mullen, the UK Continental scene will host Irishman Robert Jon McCarthy next year.
He rode for JLT Condor this year and will race in the team’s colours again next season.
The UK outfit has just confirmed its full rider roster for next year, with McCarthy's name included.
And while 2017 was something of a comeback year in that he had stopped racing for a prolonged period from 2015, McCarthy should hit the ground running next season.
A very talented sprinter, he has taken stage victory and worn the yellow jersey on the Rás and is well capable of winning big races again.
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JLT Condor is made up of Ed Clancy, Ian Bibby, Graham Briggs, Edmund Bradbury and U23 riders Germain Burton, Matthew Gibson, Ollie Wood, Jason Lowndes and Ed Laverack.
Tom Moses is also included as are Jon Mould, Alistair Slater, Tom Stewart and Rás winner James Gullen.
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Director John Herety said he believes the squad is a strong one that can do well.
“Our focus is two-fold. We were the world’s strongest criterium team in 2017 and it is a crown we will work to retain for 2018,” he said.
“Alongside that aggressive goal, our race programme will have an international stage race focus to help develop talented riders to a higher level of the sport.”
It is a set-up McCarthy should flourish in and hopefully he can hit the heights again in the Rás
The 23-year-old’s family is originally from the Fermoy area in Co Cork. They emigrated to Australia when he was a child, though not before he won four Irish youth titles at U12 and U14 level.
McCarthy continued racing in youth events in Australia and went on to become national junior road race champion there.
He also gained national selection and competed in the Australian colours as a junior at the World Championships and the also in the U23 Nations Cup series in Europe.
As a junior he beat Caleb Ewan in a sprint for the Australian road title. And at the Worlds later that year, 2012, helped Ewan to a silver medal in Valkenburg.
He took the opening stage of the An Post Rás in 2014 while riding for An Post Chainreaction.
But when he went to SEG Racing for the following season he decided cycling was not for him halfway through that campaign.
He returned to Australia and took a break from the sport but last year back on his bike and secured a place JLT-Condor for 2017, now extending for next year.
He also declared for Ireland when coming back.
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