Defending champion Fankhauser to lead strong Austrian team in An Post Rás

 

The 2014 An Post Rás winner Clemens Fankhauser and his new team have become the first riders to be confirmed for this year’s race, with the Austrian set to return to Ireland for the May event.

Recently back in the country for a fundraiser for the Junior Tour of Ireland, Fankhauser spoke about his passion for the An Post Rás and how winning his first stage race transformed his cycling.

“There were so many memories. For me it was the first time I wore yellow in a stage race,” he said. “Fortunately I could defend it. It was the only stage race I won so far. Also, there was a great flair with the race – the people around it, the spectators, and there was great media coverage on the race. It was brilliant.

“Also, with the last stage in Skerries – there was such a big, amazing crowd. You don’t have many 2.2 races where you see such enthusiasm from the people. So I’m really happy to be going back again this year.”

Fankhauser took over the yellow jersey at the end of last year’s fifth stage and held onto it until the end. He showed considerable strength and tactical awareness to do so, and has continued to progress since then.

The team is yet to be finalised but, according to directeur sportif Stefan Rucker, three out of the five riders for the Hrinkow Advarics CYcleanG squad have been decided.

They are Fankhauser, former Austrian hill climb champion and Tour de Suisse sprint jersey wearer Josef Benetseder plus the experienced former Pro Continental rider Dominik Hrinkow.

“Rider numbers four and five will be either one of our European Madison track champions Andreas Müller and Andreas Graf or one of our young guys like Andreas Hofer, the elite Austrian time trial champion in 2011,” said Rucker.

“The clear goal will be to win the Rás again. Clemens is talking about the race every day, so we expect him to be there with top motivation. With him, Josef and either the track riders or Andreas Hofer as a former TT champion, I think we'll have a very strong team at the Rás. All of us are looking forward to being there.”

The team will do races in Croatia and Austria as part of its buildup, as well as UCI events in Slovenia and Bosnia plus the Tour of Azerbaijan.

The 2015 An Post Rás will begin in Dunboyne on May 17 and will feature stage finishes in Carlow, Tipperary, Bearna, Newport, Ballina, Ballinamore, Drogheda and Skerries. It will total almost 1200 kilometres in length and will include 21 categorised climbs.

Meanwhile, three Irish riders will feature for An Post Chain Reaction Sean Kelly Team in Sunday’s (15th March) outing at Omloop van het Waasland (1.2) in Belgium.


Jack Wilson, Conor Dunne and Corkman Eoin McCarthy will be part of an eight man team which also includes talented former Orica-GreenEDGE rider Aidis Kruopis, who returned from an elbow injury at last weekend’s Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen (2.1).

Dromore native Sean Downey secured an excellent 12th place finish for the team in last year’s edition of the race and team manager Kurt Bogaert’s is looking for more of the same this time round.

“We were delighted with last year’s race. Sean was unlucky to miss out on a top 10 so a podium finish this weekend is one of our main objectives. Aidis (Kruopis) is also slowly nearing 100% fitness so it will be great to have his experience on Sunday. It’s a very flat race with some cobbled sections and a bunch sprint at the end is quite probable which will suit him.”

Bogaert’s has also welcomed the addition of new signing Joshua Edmundson, who made the move from Team Sky this week.

“Josh is a very talented young rider and has amassed some good experience already. I think he probably signed with Team Sky too young being honest, but this is a great opportunity to kick on in his career. He’s a great climber, so very accomplished in the hills and this is exactly what we have been looking for. With the imminent return of Ryan (Mullen), the team will be back to full strength at the end of the month.”

 

An Post Sean Kelly Chain Reaction Team for Omloop van het Waasland (1.2), Sunday 15th March 2015

 

Jack Wilson (IRL)

Conor Dunne (IRL)

Eoin McCarthy (IRL)

Alistair Slater (GBR)

Paulius Siskevicius (LTU)

Aidis Kruopis (LTU)

Jens Vandenbogaerde (BEL)

Jordan Stannus (AU)