Irish riders Ronan McLaughlin and Connor McConvey will line out for the An Post Sean Kelly team at the Zellick–Galmaarden (1.2) race this Sunday in Belgium.
McLaughlin and McConvey are part of a seven-man team which includes Belgian riders Joren Segers and Niels Wytinck, Lithuanian rider Gediminas Bagdonas, Briton Mark McNally and An Post’s most recent recruit – Australian rider Scott Law.
The An Post team come into the race on a high following some superb performances in last weekend’s races.
Kenneth Van Bilsen claimed victory in the U-23 Nations Cup for Belgium at the Tour of Flanders.
Gediminas Bagdonas produced a magnificent ride to take second place at the Rund um Kӧln (1.1) in Germany against a top class field in harsh conditions.
And veteran rider Niko Eeckhout capped off a great weekend for the team by finishing third at the Dwars door het Hageland in Belgium.
Team manager Kurt Bogaerts is delighted that the team are finally reaping the rewards from some excellent performances of late.
Bogaerts said: “It’s satisfying to see the team get the results they deserve. We’ve had a few unfortunate crashes and have been unlucky in some races, where the results haven’t matched the performances but the hard work is starting to now pay off.
“Overall the team is performing really well. We had three podium finishes last week, we have young riders being selected for the U-23 Nations Cup and at the Rund um Kӧln we were the smallest team in the field yet we came second. I am delighted with the progress we are making.”
Meanwhile, An Post Rás race director Dermot Dignam has commented on the news that there will be no Irish national team in the race this May.
Dignam said: “The best Irish riders will always participate in the An Post Rás, and many successful careers include an early Rás stage or jersey win. We welcome a situation where as many of our talented young cyclists as possible are eligible to race in their national tour.”
