The (absolutely mint) Wiggins Pinarello Michael O'Loughlin is riding

Michael O'Loughlin and his team mates will be riding this bike during the road race season ahead.

The year ahead will be an important one for many of our young riders, none more so than Carrick-on-Suir’s Michael O’Loughlin.

He’s one in a group of Irish talents still in the U23 ranks who are trying to make their way in full-time international cycling.

O’Loughlin, U23 Champ: “We’re all hungry, we want to succeed”

An outstanding junior, O’Loughlin went straight into the Continental ranks with Team Wiggins last year, his first at U23 level.

And he’s back again with the squad for the campaign ahead. He progressed hugely last year, riding abroad with his trade team and with the Irish team at the World Championships and U23 Nations Cup series.

O'Loughlin leads the breakaway at the championships last July. He would take 3rd in the elite race and the U23 gold on what was something of a coming of age against the biggest guns (Photo: Toby Watson)

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A reflection of his progress was very clear to see at the national road race championships last July when he was 3rd in the elite race – beaten only by WorldTour pros Nicolas Roche and Matt Brammeier on the day.

O’Loughlin also took the U23 national title as that event is held within the elite race at the championships each year.

His team has just released the first photos of the bike it will be riding this year, the Pinarello Dogma F10.

It’s the same bike Team Sky is using this year though the livery is obviously that of the Wiggins team on top of a black base, rather than the white we saw last year.

The bike is built with the mechanical SRAM Red groupset and Zipp 404 Wheels.

The team is also using Quarq power meters, Speedplay pedals, Continental tyres and fi'zi:k saddles.