Tim Barry unveils new rider line-up as Dan Morrissey-Speedy Spokes becomes ‘Aquablue’

Barry in Rás action in 2012; he and his team mates are looking for a good 2013 backed by Aquablue (Photo: Toby Watson)

By Brian Canty

Principal of the Dan Morrissey-Speedy Spokes team in 2012, Tim Barry has said he and the other riders faced the prospect of riding unattached next year when it became clear the squad would not be continuing under the same guise.

He added while satisfied with how the past season had gone, he was hopeful of landing a big win next year when the team is absorbed into the existing Aquablue set-up as an A1 racing unit.

While Stephen Clancy has departed to the Team Type 1 Pro Continental squad in the US and Paidi O’Brien has departed for the new ‘Planet Tri Racing Team’, Barry has put in place some very talented replacements including Damien Shaw from Lakeside Mullingar and Robin Kelly from Waterford Racing.

Barry explains how the team has taken a new shape: “It didn't look like the Dan Morrissey-Speedy Spokes team would go ahead due to a number of factors but Rick Delaney in Aquablue had already set up (his) team as a sportive/A3/A4 club and asked us to join them. So they had the funding and framework in place and this then gave me a chance to recruit the new guys. There’s about half the rider roster that was there before and a few new additions too.”

He added it seemed possible at one stage that the team entity he had put together in recent seasons may not survive into next year when it became clear the Dan Morrissey-Speedy Spokes backing was not continuing.

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“We all faced the prospect of looking for new teams or riding unattached but Rick came to the rescue and we’re happy now to be able to say we’ll have a strong elite racing team as well as a leisure side to the club as well.”

The 2012 season was an incredible one for the now defunct Dan Morrissey-Speedy Spokes team, who collected 18 wins including two National titles but it wasn’t all good, says Barry.

“We got a lot of wins but no really big, big win. One of the Irish classics eluded us. You’ve your three big one-day races; the Des Hanlon, the Shay Elliott and the Nationals and then you have Rás Mumhan, the Rás and the Tour of Ulster and though we got a stage win in Rás Mumhan we didn’t get the overall in it.”

“And then the Rás was hard, we had some good rides from the guest riders in the team (Aaron Buggle and Robin Kelly) but it kind of fell apart there for us. We still had the most wins by far so it’s still a good year. Sean (Lacey) had another fabulous year and he deserves it because he's a class act and he works so hard.”

With the new Planet Tri team forming what looks like a formidable squad, Barry said it’s good that another quality squad has been formed.

“It’s good because it just means more competitive racing and that's what every fella wants. Basically, it should make for a more exciting, balanced, domestic calendar. You have DMG, Blarney, Carrick Wheelers, DID Dunboyne and Cork County as well so it should be another good season. That idea of teams getting more serious, we'd like to think came from us a few years ago when we set up the Edge team and other teams now are mirroring that and it can only be good.”