Sean Hahessy has been training and racing in Belgium lately and his reward for a good season so far is a place on the seven-man Irish team for next weekend's UCI 2.2-ranked Kreiz Breizh race in France (Photo: Martine Verfaillie. Homepage photo by Sean Rowe)
By Brian Canty
Cycling Ireland has named an interesting team for next weekend’s Kreiz-Breizh Elite UCI 2.2-ranked stage race in France with several riders making their competitive elite debuts in national kit
Last week we brought you news of Mark Dowling’s inclusion in the seven-man line-up; his form over the last few seasons having made him impossible to overlook.
The federation has now released the names of the other riders who will make up the squad, with Sean Hahessy (Fitscience), Fintan Ryan (DID Dunboyne), Sean McKenna (Aquablue), Marc Potts (Tomacc), Mark Downey (Banbridge CC) and Matt Teggart (AC Bisontine) all making the cut.
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McKenna has been the man of the season without question and has already competed for the Irish U23 team at home and abroad this year.
He has maintained his form right from the start of the campaign and has never failed to impress; winning some of the biggest races on the calendar such as the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan.
Like McKenna, Hahessy has also ridden for the U23 national team on home roads this year.
The Fitscience man is a former junior international and his 10th place in the National Road Race Championships underlined his continued good form into the second half of the season.
Fintan Ryan is a former national junior road race champion and has been with the national track programme of late, as have Downey and Potts.
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It will be interesting to see what form they are in for the road.
Potts had a fantastic An Post Rás; his racing in Belgium clearly having improved his form hugely in recent months.
Downey and Ryan are two emerging young riders and while Downey has ridden for the Irish U23 team on home roads this year, next weekend in France will be a significant step up for both.
Teggart has been based in France all year with the AC Bisontine team and has been doing well, though he is still learning the ropes when it comes to European-style racing.
The opening stage on Saturday is a 184-kilometre run from Calanhel to Plouay with four categorised climbs.
Stage two on Sunday morning is the shortest at 82 kilometres but there are two big climbs.
The penultimate stage on Sunday evening is a 110-kilometre journey starting and finishing in Carhax with two more climbs.
The final day is the hardest and takes the riders 163 kilometres from Plouguernevel to Rostrenen with climbing throughout.
