Despite being only able to pick one Irish rider from a preferred three, David McQuaid says his Synergy Baku Squad are in good shape for the upcoming Rás (Photo: Jim Chen)
By Shane Stokes
Synergy Baku general manager, David McQuaid has spoken in detail about how the line-up for the An Post Rás was determined, explaining that he had little choice but to enter Connor McConvey as the only Irish rider on the five man team.
The line-up for the An Post Rás was confirmed this week by McQuaid, who selected McConvey, the Germans Christoph Schweizer and Daniel Klemme plus the Austrian duo Markus Eibegger and Jan Sokol.
McQuaid had originally hoped to include Brammeier in the squad and to have two Irish riders, with the rest of the team likely to be made up of the Azeri [from Azerbaijan – ed.] riders that Synergy Baku is required to develop.
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However visa complications meant that they were ultimately not able to travel.
“The Azeris would have needed to lodge their passports with embassy for up to six weeks and that was just not a runner,” McQuaid told stickybottle.
“At the start of the year the plan all along was to enter our three strongest Azeri riders but in the end the visa process was the issue.
“Whilst not complicated, it just required them to be without a passport for too long, especially at a time when their Schengen visas were up for renewal and the passport was needed for that.
“Their European entry is more important than risking it all for one race in Ireland even if it could be a good one for them.”
Philip Lavery (left) is out of the Rás but his Synergy Baku team mate Connor McConvey (right of Lavery) is one of the main favourites to take final yellow after his 2nd place last year.
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As for Brammeier and Lavery, he said that both had been pencilled in for the team but those plans had to be changed.
"Matt complained of not feeling well in Brittany and he pulled out so that he could be right for Azerbaijan,” said McQuaid.
“Matt is a pro and knows his body so we fully supported him in that decision. But during Azerbaijan he still wasn't quite correct. All credit to him, when I asked him to get to the end because it was our home Tour, he accepted that.
“But after the penultimate stage he discovered his body covered with spots. Race doctors diagnosed it as chicken pox, a condition that Matt didn't have as a child. So he was a DNS on the final stage.”
Brammeier only rode the Rás once before, competing while still racing under a British licence. He since declared for Ireland and, as a multiple title holder, McQuaid recognised the value in having him there.
“I wanted Matt in the Rás because he is Irish elite champion and I felt some type of obligation to An Post and the race organisers to facilitate that jersey being there. However in the end it's not possible.
“Things then went from bad to worse when Lavery put his hand up on Monday and said he is not well and advised he would be best being removed from the team.
“He can't ride his bike at the moment due to an infection and whilst an unfit Lavery is still an asset to the team, he knows he is blocking the opportunity of others.”
Still, while McConvey has had a slow start to the season, McQuaid believes that things are turning around and that he and the other riders should put in a good showing.
“We are not completely in despair. We are actually presenting a strong team,” he said of the men selected for the Rás, which starts in Dunboyne tomorrow.
The team rode strongly last season, clocking up stage wins with Kirill Pozdnyakov and Rico Rogers. McConvey also finished second overall, deadlocked on time with the final race winner Marcin Bialoblocki and only losing out due to the latter’s better stage placings.
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