Matthew Teggart will swap the Irish racing scene for the life of a full-timer in France next year; seen here driving the escape at the Newry Three Day back in August (Photo with thanks to Paul Hannigan)
By Brian Canty
Matt Teggart will link up with French club team AC Bisontine for the 2015 season, joining up with Irish U23 rider Dylan Foley who agreed terms with them earlier in the month.
Teggart, a talented 18-year-old from Banbridge, Co Down, said he was thrilled to get the opportunity to ride abroad in what will be his first year out of the junior ranks.
The Junior Tour stage winner said he was now determined to make the best of the opportunity.
“Having to move across the water, learn to live away from home, learn the language and to get such a high standard of racing all year will be a big change and it’s very exciting for me, I can't wait to get going.”
Advertisement
Having come through the Standard Life Nicolas Roche Performance Team, Teggart had a trial with his new French team towards the latter end of this year and he really showed promise.
Storming home into Ennistimon to win stage 3 of the Junior Tour wearing the points classification jersey; a competition he would go on to win overall (Photo: Stephen McMahon - Sportsfile)
While he came up just short of selection for the World Championships, his ability to hold his own, mix it in races and get placed immediately was enough for him to stamp his name on a berth in the team for next year.
It’s a reward for an excellent year which was not without its setbacks.
“It has been a much better and more successful year than I could have dreamed of,” he said.
“Especially with the injuries and all my problems,” he added in reference to the trapped nerve that wrecked his first year as a junior and the illness that hit him after this year’s Junior Tour.
Being sidelined at that stage of the 2014 campaign meant he was unable to have a crack at the national championships in Cork in August.
Related News
It was a race he really would have needed to make a big impression on if he was going to be selected for the road worlds in Spain in September.
He looks forward in hope for an injury-free winter so he can prepare for the challenge ahead in France.
Hunter's instinct: Taking the Groucho GP in Richill back in June where he just got past Cathal Clarke, himself a winner in Belgium later in the summer.
“My departure dates haven’t been finalised yet but it will be towards the end of January from what I know so far,” he said of the next step.
“And the fact there are other Irish riders, Dylan Foley and Daniel Stewart (whose signing is not yet fully confirmed – Ed), is a massive plus.
“It means I won't be totally alone with the language barrier and there will be that bit of crack there which will certainly help throughout the year.
“It's much less of an ordeal to go over to live when you know you've mates with you.
“I'm certainly not scared or I wouldn't have made the move. I know the standard is so much high over there.
“I’m excited and also curious to see how I can mix it as a first year with some of the best in Europe.
"I'm confident in my own ability and know I can do well if things go my way. At the minute I'm just eager to get stuck in and get the first few races under my belt.”
Teggart (right) and Michael O’Loughlin (left) in the colours of AC Bisontine during their brief stint with the team at the end of the summer. Pictured with Soline Lamboley, French national champion and world junior track championship sliver medal winner (Photo: www.be-celt.com)
Topics
