Damien Shaw makes the cut for the An Post Chainreaction team in the Rás, but there is disappointment for most of the other Irish riders in the camp (Photo: Sirotti)
By Brian Canty
While traditionally selecting as many Irish riders as possible for the Rás each year, the An Post-Chainreaction team will have just two Irishmen in its line-up when the national tour begins on Sunday.
Connor McConvey’s season has suffered a setback as he has been overlooked for selection.
Instead, the team includes Irish riders Damien Shaw and Jack Wilson along with Aaron Gate, Nicolas Vereecken and Emiel Wastyn.
It’s a strong team, as ever; with former stage and jersey winners present in the line-up.
Shaw enjoyed an excellent Rás last year, finishing in the top three on the final three stages; performances that helped secure his place on the An Post-Chainreaction team for this season.
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Connor McConvey has not made the An Post Chainreaction team for the An Post Rás which gets underway this Sunday. It's a big blow for the Belfast man who looked to be coming into some good form (Photo: Martine Verfaillie)
He has been riding at a higher level than before abroad to date this year and while he missed some key moves at the Shay Elliott Classic in Co Wicklow on home soil last weekend, he could be a man for the general classification next week.
Shaw was a latecomer to cycling and has gone better and better every year he has ridden the Rás.
With the backing of a really strong team and some hard international racing in his legs, not to mention enjoying being a full time bike rider for the first time, may do more this year.
The home fans will be hoping he gets a bit of luck this time around and can really excel in his home tour.
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Unfortunately for David Montgomery, he has come down with a case of glandular fever so there was no possibility he could ride the race.
Wastyn took his best result of the season last weekend when he was fourth in the GP Criquielion while Vereecken has arguably been their man of the season so far.
Jack Wilson and Conor Dunne in the escape in France at the Tour de Loir et Cher in April; Wilson has shown some good form this year and a bit of luck on the Rás might take him a long way.
Vereecken won a stage of the Circuit de Ardennes International and finished third in the points classification while he was inside the top 10 on each of the six road stages of the Tour de Normandie.
He also claimed a couple of top 10s at Etoile de Besseges in February.
Kiwi rider Aaron Gate hasn’t raced much on the road this year as he was committed to his country’s track programme but he made a return last weekend at the GP Criquielon and finished 28th.
He won two stages of the An Post Rás last year as well as claiming the green points jersey so he too had a strong case for inclusion.
In the past, the team has had a majority of Irish riders and it was felt that that too would be the case this year.
However, McConvey has not made the team and two of the newcomers to the squad this year – Sean McKenna and Angus Fyffe – were only ever going to join up after their college exams had been completed and the Rás was over.
Another Irish rider on the team at the start of the year, Daniel Stewart has stepped away from cycling as he addresses other issues.
The popular Stewart has garnered a huge amount of respect and goodwill in recent days after speaking out about facing depression and the impact it, and cycling, was having on his life.
McConvey has been racing well of late and last weekend, was in the front group of back-to-back 1.2 races in the Netherlands and Belgium, respectively.
He was the best of the men in green on Saturday’s Ronde van Overijssel with 22nd on a day just 34 riders came to the line for the sprint.
In 2013 he finished second to Marcin Bialoblocki (Team UK Youth) in the Rás, though both were tied on time at the end of the eight days and was tipped as a potential winner of the race this time around.
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