Top Irish junior riders secure places on international road team

Two leading Irish juniors, Shay Donley (above) and Archie Ryan are set to ride with Zappic Racing Team next year (Photo: Sharon McFarland. Homepage photo by John Hammer)

Irish internationals Archie Ryan and Shay Donley have secured places on Zappi Racing Team for next year.

The squad is based in the UK but rides a large number of races in Continental Europe.

It also has an U23 team which might offer seamless progression for the juniors after next season.

In recent years the U23 squad has ridden some very big races abroad, including the Baby Giro.

Ryan and Donley, of NRPT-Chill Insurance, were both first-year juniors this year; riding the road and track Worlds respectively.

Archie Ryan began the season by gaining selection to ride the junior race at the World Cyclocross Championships.

He then went to ride in Spain and though injury interrupted his year he returned with a bang in late summer.

Archie Ryan in international mode; finishing the junior road race in Innsbruck last week (Photo: Sean Rowe)

After returning to racing Archie Ryan competed in the Junior Tour of Wales in September. He won the final stage solo, atop Tumble Mountain.

And that stage result helped carry him to 3^rd in the final general classification. It was an excellent ride, especially considering knee trouble kept him out of racing for three months.

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He had picked up that injury when riding on the Irish team at the Tour of the North early in the season.

Shay Donley has also enjoyed a very strong year, his best win at home coning in the Junior Tour of Ireland.

Donley stormed in to claim victory on stage 2 while representing Ireland, proving best in the bunch sprint.

He also won a stage at Rás Mhaigh Eo 2 Day and the O'Leary Stone Kanturk 3 Day as well as the Killinchy GP, Coombes Connor and Grouchos GP.

Irish junior time trial champion Ben Healy in the green jersey at the Basque Tour with the Zappi juniors earlier this year.

Donley and Ryan will not be the first Irish riders to compete in the colours of Zappi when they get going next year.

The current national TT champion, and Ireland’s top finisher at the Innsbruck Worlds, Ben Healy rode for the team this year.

Ryan and Donley have been named by Zappi Racing Team among a team of seven for next year, when the team said it had many international races planned.

“We have a challenging European and UK calendar planned for 2019,” it said. “We’ll ride UCI and national level races in UK, Belgium, France, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Italy and Spain.

“With this calendar in mind we’ve blended experience and potential; all-rounders and climbers,” it added of its riders for next season.

“Most of all, we’ve selected riders with a strong passion for road racing, dedication, and the ambition to build strong foundations for a cycling career."