Following last week’s announcement of the strongest-ever foreign line-up for this month’s FBD Milk Rás, it has been confirmed today that Tour of Italy stage winner David McKenzie will spearhead the professional Swiss team GS Ficonseils in the eight-day event. The 27 year old former Linda McCartney rider highlighted his class when he won the 7th stage in last year’s Italian Tour with a massive 164-kilometre solo breakaway. The Australian also won the final stage of the Tour Down Under in January, shortly before the team collapsed due to financial difficulties.
Now in the colours of the Fisconseils squad, McKenzie will be supported in his bid for Rás victory by three Swiss – David Chassot, Julien Vergeres and Stephane Gremaud, plus the American Erik Saunders. Another serious threat is Olympic bronze medallist Chris Newton, who will lead a strong Great Britain selection. Newton is in top form, taking his best victory to date last week when he beat riders of the calibre of Jacky Durand and Christophe Bassons to win the world-ranked Circuit de Mines stage race in France. He will be supported by four of the riders from that team – Paul Manning, Bryan Steel, Stephen Cummings and Philip West.
"It is shaping up to be a fantastic race," says organiser Dermot Dignam. "McKenzie and Newton are two very strong riders and their presence shows the quality of the opposition which the Irish competitors will face this year." The FBD Milk Rás begins on Sunday week in Navan (20th May) and finishes 8 days later in Dublin’s city centre.
Filed by Amanda Fennelly
