Sean Kelly: “The Rás will be a big target for An Post-Chainreaction this year”

Sean Kelly, pictured at the An Post-Chainreaction team launch in Belgium on Tuesday

By Graham Healy

In Tielt

Principal of the An Post-Chainreaction team, Sean Kelly has said the Rás will be a major goal again for his charges in the season ahead. The former World No 1 believes the race remains the event all Irish riders want to win, and the quartet of home grown talent in his 17-rider roster this year would approach it in that fashion.

“The Rás is a core race in our season’s programme, and one that the Irish riders relish taking part in,” Kelly said at the team’s official launch in Belgium today, Tuesday.

“We’ve had some great results over the last few years and the support at home has been superb. It’s one race that all the team and staff look forward to getting back for.”

Among those chasing success in the race this year will likely be all four of the Irish riders on the team: Ronan McLaughlin, Sean Downey, Jack Wilson and Sam Bennett.

McLaughlin and Downey have already put in good rides in the first weeks of the current season, performing very strongly against world class opposition at the Volta ao Algarve that finished on Sunday.

Wilson, meanwhile, is entering his first season with the team and having been based in Belgium full-time in recent years he will be looking to impress in the months ahead.

Bennett grabbed top 10 results in both the world and European championships last year and said at today’s launch that he is very much looking forward to the racing this year.

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“Personally this season is a big one for me. I had a frustrating start last year with a couple of niggly injuries, but towards the end of the calendar I felt in top condition which helped me produce some strong performances. With a solid pre-season behind me this time out I’m really looking ahead with great optimism.”

Manager Kurt Bogaerts said while strong riders who came to the team and got good results would often move on to bigger contracts, he is very happy with the mix of talent he has at his disposal for 2013.

“It’s great to see guys from our set-up join the Pro Tour circuit, it means we are doing our job correctly by developing riders to maximise their potential. Three guys from the team went last year and of course Matt Brammeier previously. I certainly feel that we will see another Irish rider there soon as long as they keep improving and pushing themselves.”

“The team has plenty of experience now; guys like Bennett and McLaughlin have been with us for a while and are knocking on the door, while Sean has got a season under his belt….. so I’m really positive about what the season ahead will bring.”

The team launch today was attended by riders, media, staff and some of the sponsors now on board.

The squad was set up by Sean Kelly seven years ago as an extension of the Sean Kelly Academy. It was initially an Irish rider development concept and while it maintains that ethos it is to a smaller extent than before, with the vast majority of the riders on the roster in recent years coming from other countries, especially Belgium.

An Post has been involved with the team for six years now and is in its last year of its current sponsorship deal. The team is a UCI Continental outfit but is looking to step up a level to Pro Continental as early as next year.

Chainreactioncycles has become one of the main sponsors this year and its Vitus bike brand is now the bike supplier to the team, having replaced Dolan Bikes in that regard. Chainreactioncylces is based in Northern Ireland and is the world’s largest cycling online retailer. It is expected to increase its involvement in the team in the years ahead.