Having represented Australia on the road, and now riding with a Continental level trade team at the age of 22-years with hopes of rising through the professional ranks, Ryan MacAnally has recommitted himself to Australia despite declaring for Ireland last year.
By Brian Canty
The Australian national criterium championships had an interesting name among the results a few weeks ago, with Ray MacAnallly towards the top of the standings.
The 22-year-old based on the Gold Coast was 19th over the line after doing a quality lead-out job for his Charter Mason Giant teammate Shannon Johnson.
Johnson could only manage seventh in a hectic bunch gallop won by Steele Van Hoff of NFTO, with rising star Caleb Ewan (Orica-GreenEdge) in second.
But MacAnally wasn't afraid to mix it with the big guns on the 1.1-kilometre circuit race.
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He is the son of Dubliner Gus MacAnally, while mother Fiona is from Australia.
He was born in Queensland but has had dual Irish and Australian citizenship all his life, which allowed him hold an Irish racing licence.
Meeting some of the locals when riding for the Australian national team at the Tour of Hainan in 2012.
And he used it last year when he travelled here for the National Road Race Championships in Multyfarnham, Westmeath, in June.
He would miss the break that stayed away all day but eventually finished 17th, and fifth in the U23 category.
“I’ve Irish citizenship through my father and grandparents and I always wanted to race the Irish championships,” he told stickybottle.
“So when the opportunity came up last year to exchange my Australian licence for an Irish licence I jumped at it,” he explained.
“I was based in Belgium for the start of 2014 so I felt it was a good idea with the Irish championships coming up to make the transfer and get an Irish racing licence.”
Competing in the colours of Budget Forklift against Orica-GreenEDGE men Travis Meyer and Michael Albasini.
However, he has now switched back to an Australian licence as the UCI told him he had to pick one country to represent.
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“The UCI told me I wasn’t allowed to keep changing so I made the decision a couple of months ago to move back to an Australian UCI code where I’m now locked in for life.
“I wouldn’t have been allowed ride the crit and road champs earlier this month if I hadn’t done that,” he said in reference to the just decided Australian national titles.
“Having said that, I do hope to be back in Ireland for some of the regional races there in the coming years.
"It was a great experience riding the Irish nationals.”
He’s now competing at Continental level, having switched from mountain biking to the road around five years ago.
Leading in a group for 17th at the National Road Race Championships in Westmeath last year (Photo: George Doyle)
Underlining his talent, he has also ridden for Australia on the road, at the Tour of Hainan in 2012.
He returned to Australia in good form from that race, taking 3rd in the Noosa International Criterium behind sprint legend Robbie McEwan and fellow speedster Jonny Cantwell.
MacAnally says McEwan has offered him career advice down the years and he counts him as an idol.
After riding for Australian team Budget Forklifts in 2011, he bagged nine podiums in the Australian National Road Series in 2012 for the squad.
He was then offered a place in the Italian U23 squad Team Bibanese.
MacAnally on the start-line before a round of the Bay Crit Series in Victoria recently. Also in the picture are Lotto-Belisol sprinter Greg Henderson, Mick Rogers of Tinkoff-Saxo and Orica GreenEdge pair Leigh Howard and Caleb Ewan.
There followed a stint with Perth-based Bianchi-DCM-Arbitrage and he is now riding at Continental level for Charter Mason Giant Racing Team.
“I started mountain biking when I was about eight and raced a good bit internationally,” MacAnally says of his early years.
“But when I turned 18 I made the transition to road racing because I felt there was more of a future in the sport in terms of having a professional career.”
As well as racing in Australia this year, he will also compete in Europe.
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