An Post’s Dunne and Downey Set for Belgian Battle
Irish riders Conor Dunne and Sean Downey are part of An Post Chain Reaction Sean Kelly team in action this weekend. The strong eight man team will take part in the first Belgian classic of the year, Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne (1.1), on Sunday 1st March.
Following a bad crash earlier this month, on stage four of the (2.1) Étoile de Bessèges in France, Dunne has made a full recovery and goes in to Sunday’s race in high spirits. The 23-year old will be looking to take the next step in his development and build up some good results following a challenging debut year with the An Post team.
Downey, who has amassed great experience since joining the An Post outfit in 2012, is back from his exploits on the track and is ready to prove his worth on the road. With plenty of new additions to the squad this year, Bogaerts says the team are keen to show their quality after their disappointment with the result in Bessèges:
“We had a difficult start in France and things didn’t go our way but we’ll always look to be aggressive and make our mark on every race. This is a typical classic - very tough and not for the faint hearted. The riders will have to dig deep and they’re prepared to do that so I’m looking forward to it.”
The 197km West Flanders route will certainly prove a bigger challenge than usual, with strong winds and cobbled roads expected to test riders to their limit.
Meanwhile, An Post and Ireland sensation Ryan Mullen put in a solid display at the UCI Track World Championships in Saint Quentin En Yvelines, France on Saturday last (21st), finishing 7th in the individual pursuit.
Mullen, who is currently on a training block in Gran Canaria, will now look to fully concentrate on preparing for the road season ahead.