Strong Irish U23 teams named for Gent Wevelgem and Tour of Flanders | Sticky Bottle

Strong Irish U23 teams named for Gent Wevelgem and Tour of Flanders

Michael O'Loughlin was singled out for praise by the Irish team manager at Gent Wevelgem last year, above. What can he do in Flanders this year?

Cycling Ireland has named two strong teams for key U23 international fixtures this weekend and next month.

The riders will tackle Kattekoers, Gent Wevelgem this Sunday. And next month an Irish selection will ride the U23 Tour of Flanders.

Both races are in Belgium and form part of the U23 Nations Cup. The annual series is fought out by international selections, meaning the standard is very high.

It traditionally acts as a shop window in which young riders show themselves to major pro teams.

In the Ireland line-up for this weekend are Eddie Dunbar, Daire Feeley, Angus Fyffe, Jake Gray, Marc Heaney and Darragh O'Mahony.

Fyffe and O’Mahoney have won three races each on the home scene so far this year.

Heaney is a first-year U23 rider earning his spurs living in Belgium, with Gray doing the same in France.

Strong Irish U23 teams named for Gent Wevelgem, Tour of Flanders

Top, Marc Heaney leading the group while racing in Belgium. Above, Angus Fyffe is currently flying on the home scene after a stint with An Post-Chainreaction last year.

Feeley has been very prolific on the domestic scene in recent years. And having contested the first races of the domestic calendar at home he will ride this season with UC Monaco.

Eddie Dunbar is the most established of the selection. He is currently in his second season with US-registered Continental outfit Axeon Hagens Berman.

While he has not raced a huge amount so far this year; what we have seen of him suggests he has developed at a rate over the winter.

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He rode well in Volta ao Alentejo (2.1) in Portugal last month, going on the attack several times and finishing 4th on a stage and 5th overall.

And two weeks ago he was 5th in the one-day Classica da Arrabida in Portugal.

Now a third-year U23 rider, he will be looking to make the step up to the pro ranks soon.

And if he is to ride at ProContinental or WorldTour level next year a big result this weekend would really help.

In 2½ weeks at the Tour of Flanders; Feeley, Fyffe, Gray and O’Mahony will line out again for Ireland.

Michael O’Loughlin of Team Wiggins and Matthew Teggart of An Post-Chainreaction come into the squad.

Teggart rode the race last year and finish a very decent 31st; finishing in a small group just over one minute down.

He is currently riding the Tour de Normandie (UCI 2.2) so should be well prepared for Belgium.

O’Loughlin will be riding Flanders for the first time though did well in the Irish jersey in other races in 2016 as a first-year U23.

Ireland manager Neil Martin said he coped very well at Gent-Wevelgem despite getting caught behind some crashes at key moments. He would go on to finish 61st.

And later in the year he would spend the day in the breakaway in the U23 road race at the World Championships in Qatar.