Sean Kelly says the financial climate and the growth of bigger teams is squeezing his An Post-Chainreaction squad like never before. Above, at the team launch for the 2013 season with Irish riders Sam Bennett, Ronan McLaughlin, Sean Downey and Jack Wilson.
Brian Canty
Sean Kelly has said running a Continental-ranked team in today’s financial climate is very difficult and every Euro must be counted twice.
The Irish cycling legend also admitted as major teams in the WorldTour get bigger, smaller ones like his own An Post-Chainreaction squad are left fighting for what is left of the pool of sponsorship money to keep themselves afloat.
“It’s difficult because first of all, the financial situation in cycling; the race organisers are suffering a lot,” explained Kelly.
“So what that means is when you do races, sometimes you’ve to pay your own expenses.
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“That’s something the organisers did (for us) when the economy was good.
An Post-Chainreaction may be in the sport's third tier, but in order to contest the kind of race programme it does - in big events against the world's top teams - a fleet of vehicles is required not to mention a team of staff and myriad of deals to meet its requirements.
“They had lots of money but because that’s not the case anymore it falls on us and that’s a pressure on our budget
“So not alone is running the team hard, but getting the sponsors is difficult,” he added.
The team is 10 years in operation this year and still offers a very valuable outlet to up and coming Irish riders.
But it’s a constant battle to make ends meet at this, the third tier in the sport.
“The smaller suppliers are also finding it difficult,” he said of those sponsors that provide clothing and kit.
“(For example), the suppliers of helmets, shoes; that is tightening up a lot,” he continued.
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An Post's helmet suppliers this year are KASK; but Kelly says the pressure is on even deals like these.
“The big teams are getting so big, they’ve a sponsor for helmets and shoes.
“Not only do they get sponsored but they’re looking for cash on top of it,” he said in reference to teams looking for a supply of kit from sponsors and a fee for their riders to wear it.
“And of course when a shoe company takes on one or two big teams it’s costing them financially and they can’t support the smaller teams as a result.”
Kelly has in the past said he believes a transfer system similar to that in soccer would benefit cycling, and especially squads like his.
He believes when teams like An Post-Chainreaction take in young riders and develop them for a number of seasons before they progress to ProContinental level or to the WorldTour, those larger outfits should pay a fee for them.
Briton Andy Fenn riding the 2013 Vuelta for Omega Pharma-Quickstep. He left An Post-Chainreaction after one season in 2011 and this year will ride for Team Sky (Photo: Sirotti)
While Sam Bennett was with the team for a long period and last year progressed to NetApp-Endura, now rebranded as Bora-Argon 18 in the ProContinental ranks; he is just one of a number of riders to have flown the An Post nest for better things.
Four-time national Irish senior champion Matt Brammeier went to HTC Highroad four years ago and is now with MTN Qhubeka, just starting a two-year deal.
British rider Andy Fenn three years ago moved from An Post-Chainreaction to Omega Pharma-Quickstep and is now with Team Sky.
Lithuanian rider Gediminas Bagdonas won the Rás with An Post-Chainreaction four years ago and is now in his third season with Ag2r-La Mondiale.
And in the team’s early days British rider Daniel Lloyd progressed to Cervelo Test Team.
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