There will be a strong British challenge at this year’s An Post Rás with the announcement today that the NFTO (Not for the Ordinary) and Madison Genesis Continental teams have both confirmed their participation in the UCI race beginning on May 22nd.
The NFTO team will be well known to Irish cycling fans, being the squad that national road race championship runner-up Eddie Dunbar competed with in 2015. Dunbar has since moved to a US based squad, but NFTO’s line-up includes some other very promising talent.
Josh Edmondson has been identified as one of the best young climbers in British cycling and backed up Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome during a two year stint with Team Sky in 2013 and 2014. He raced with the Irish An Post Chain Reaction Sean Kelly squad last season and finished a superb second in An Post Rás. Edmondson also impressively won the general classification in the Ronde de l'Oise plus a stage in the Tour of Azerbaijan.
He will be joined by Rás veteran Rob Partridge, who led the King of the Mountains classification for several days and finished fourth overall in the 2015 An Post Rás.
“The leaders are Josh and Rob,” states NFTO directeur sportif Tom Barras. “We can expect stage wins and a challenge for the overall.”
The duo will be backed by sprinters Liam Stones and Alex Harvey, as well as recent Noel Jones Road Race winner George Fowler. The riders have spent time in Spain and Belgium as part of their build-up and will fine-tune their preparation with a number of British domestic events.
The Madison Genesis team has already had a taste of An Post Rás success, with former team rider Liam Holohan winning the penultimate stage in 2014 and taking second in last year’s King of the Mountains classification. This time around the team will be led by Erick Rowsell and Matt Holmes. Rowsell won the King of the Mountains in last year’s Ride London Surrey Classic and was best Briton and eighth overall in the 2015 Tour of Yorkshire.
Holmes won the general classification at the Totnes Vire 2 Day race earlier this year. He has already had a taste of An Post Rás, netting fifth on the penultimate stage last season, and Madison Genesis team manager Dave Povall believes this could be a breakthrough year for the 22 year-old.
Also on the team is the Kiwi Taylor Gunman, winner of the 2015 Oceania Continental championship and the New Zealand Cycle Classic, former British National Junior Road Race champion, Tristan Robbins and past National Junior Time Trial champion, Joe Evans.
“The goal for An Post Rás will be the general classification with Rowsell and Holmes,” states Povall. “Stage wins are also very valued. In addition to that, combining the promising young riders Holmes, Robbins and Evans with experienced professionals in a multi-day international stage race is a key part of their development.”
Several of the riders for An Post Rás are expected to ride the Tour de Yorkshire as part of their build-up, lining out against some of the biggest teams in the sport.
The An Post Rás squad will be directed by former Giro d’Italia stage winner Joan Horrach, a Spanish rider who was a pro with Ileas Balearas-Banesto/Caisse d'Epargne and Katusha.
An Post Rás race director Tony Campbell believes the two teams will play a big part in the outcome of the event. “The race has a very big reputation in Britain and each year teams from there are amongst the most aggressive. NFTO and Madison Genesis look set to be right in the thick of things and, together with the other foreign teams, will ensure a gripping race.”
The two latest announcements bring the number of confirmed international squads up to ten. Those announced thus far are squads from Australia, Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the USA. Several more foreign teams will be confirmed prior to next month’s event.
This year’s An Post Rás will total almost 1233 kilometres, and will include 25 categorised climbs. The race will roll out from Dublin Castle on Sunday May 22nd, with the venue chosen to mark the 2016 Easter Rising commemorations.
The world-ranked event will feature stage finishes in Multyfarnham, Charleville, Dingle, Sneem, Clonakilty, Dungarvan and Baltinglass before concluding in Skerries on May 29th.
Elsewhere, the An Post Chain Reaction Sean Kelly Racing team are UK bound as they prepare for the 12th Rutland-Melton International Cicle Classic (1.2). The 2016 edition of this race which takes place in the East-Midlands region will cement its position as the premier British one day international race.
Three Irish riders have been named as part of the An Post contingent namely Jack Wilson, Damian Shaw and David Montgomery. Belgian bullet, in-form Nicolas Verreecken, is also included in the squad after recently securing another top ten finish in L’Oire et Cher (2.2), last week. Australian, Jordan Stannus, and Dutchman, Jasper Bovenhuis, make up the remainder of what is an exciting An Post line-up.
The 180 kilometre race is an attractive prospect for competitors with a unique course that consists of a blend of off-road sections and short, sharp climbs on narrow farm tracks. The race takes its inspiration from the Paris Roubaix and Tour of Flanders and will commence in Oakham this Sunday.
An Post have excelled in this fixture in the past with New Zealander, Aaron Gate, finishing fourth last year and former An Post rider, Mark McNally (now riding with Team Wanty - Groupe Gobert), taking third place in 2014. Team manager, Kurt Bogaerts believes the terrain suits his team and is hoping that they build on their recent performances.
“Rutlands is normally a race that suits us well. Also, our riders have been finishing in the front bunch recently which shows that we are close to picking up some good results. Damien Shaw is back training with us in full too which is a massive boost. We’re trying to build a level of consistency and to continually improve in the lead up to An Post Rás.”
The An Post team will be without Australian pair Oliver Kent-Spark and Calvin Watson as both are in Monaco training whilst Connor McConvey and Emiel Wastyn are still battling a bout of flu but both are close to a full recovery. Bogaerts is confident that the team selected can emerge victorious.
“We are in really good shape at the moment so if the team can do some work for the likes of Nicolas (Vereecken), it is our aim to go for the win. I’m looking forward to the race as it’s certainly one we enjoy every year.”
Following on from Rutlands, the An Post team will next compete in Flèche du Sud (2.2) in Luxembourg between the 4th and 8th of May.
An Post Chain Reaction Sean Kelly Racing Team in action at the 12th Rutland – Melton International CiCLE Classic (1.2) in the UK, 24th April
Damien Shaw (IRE)
David Montgomery (IRE)
Jack Wilson (IRE)
Nicholas Vereecken (BEL)
Jasper Bovenhuis (NED)
Jordan Stannus (AUS)