An Post-Sean Kelly manager Kurt Bogaerts believes the 2011 season has seen his team emerge as serious contenders on the European circuit and says he’s not surprised his riders are attracting interest from the sport’s biggest squads.
He also revealed he’s hoping to sign U23 TT champion Sean Downey and that Briton Mark McNally and An Post Ras winner Gediminas Bagdonas are in talks to leave for bigger pro teams next year.
Belgian Bogaerts said the team had perhaps been too dependent on its veteran sprinter Niko Eeckhout in previous years.
However, the past season had seen many of the riders step forward to take significant international wins, a fact that had made him proud.
He believed the team’s recent wins had greatly enhanced its reputation on the international scene.
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“It’s been a great season with a lot of wins,” he said.
“What has satisfied me the most is the fact that so many of the team have won this year. Maybe in previous seasons we relied on Niko a lot. This year not only has he won, but Fenn, McNally, Bagdonas and Bennett all won races.”
“We’ve been highly competitive throughout the programme which has made me very proud. The fact that our riders are attracting interest from some of the top teams out there proves we are doing a good job.”
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“Matt Brammeier left last year (for HTC-Highroad) and Andrew Fenn is going to Omega Pharma-Quick Step next season. There are also discussions with top teams for McNally and Bagdonas. It’s a real incentive for the guys in the team and for potential recruits to join knowing what it might lead them to in the future.”
He confirmed the team is currently in discussions with Downey for 2012.
“Like every season there will be changes of personnel, one guy who has impressed me a lot is Sean Downey so hopefully we can sign him – we will see. The rest of the guys will all have a month or so off to rest and then it’s back into training camps in December and January. I’ve been planning for next season for a while now, so I’m eager to get started already.”
But before that lay-off, the team has two final races in coming days.
A six-man team take on the Zwevegem pro race in Belgium tomorrow, Friday. The same selection will also ride the Putte-Kappelen next Tuesday.
The team includes Ireland’s Ronan McLaughlin. He is joined in the squad by the English duo of Fenn and McNally and Belgians Eeckhout, Pieter Ghyllebert and Kevin Claeys.
Fenn is in flying form, having taken bronze in the U23 world championships in Copenhagen two weeks ago. Eeckhout is also enjoying a good late-season run of form, having taken his latest victory just last weekend.
Bogaerts said with a bit of luck he is hopeful his charges will challenge for one final victory in the upcoming final assignments.
“They are flat races and neither are particularly tough, so I hope that we can get a bit of luck and win one he”
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