Four Irish cyclists have been named in the An Post Chain Reaction Sean Kelly squad for the upcoming 2017 season.
Damien Shaw, Matthew Teggart, Conor Hennebry and Sean McKenna have all been named in the 15-man squad ahead of the team’s first race in France later this month.
Both Shaw and McKenna made their debut with the Belgium-based team last year and have extended their contracts for another season, while Hennebry and Teggart join on one-year deals, coming from Team Aquablue and French DN2 team, Amicale Cycliste Bisontine.
Twenty-three year old Hennebry, joins the team with a string of top results to his name already. The 23-year-old claimed four victories racing in Belgium for Team Aquablue last year, including a magnificent solo win at the Kermesse Sinaai.
McKenna joined the squad in August, after completing his studies. And having dominated on the Irish scene, the 22-year-old will be looking to build on results, such as his 13th place finish in the youth classification in the Kreiz Breizh Elites.
Mullingar native Shaw enjoyed a fifth-place overall finish in the An Post Rás in 2016, followed by an impressive debut at the Tour of Britain.
Teggart’s grandfather competed in the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, while his father and uncle both represented Ireland at the Commonwealth Games.
After a tough but progressive season in 2016, team manager Kurt Bogaerts believes the squad has the right mix of experience and raw talent to notch up some big results this season.
“At the end of last season, we looked at what we wanted to work on, and have brought riders from all over the world who we believe can help address certain weaknesses we identified,” said Bogaerts.
“This year’s team is very different from the past, it’s a very young team with most of the riders under 23. I have been impressed with the level of the guys so I expect to have a good season and I am quite confident with the line-up that we have.
“I’m very excited about the four Irish riders. Conor and Matthew will take some time to adapt to the set up but they are showing already that they can contribute to the team and I expect them to do so.
“Matthew is one of the best young riders in Ireland and Conor has shown he has a great kick and ability to finish races. Sean and Damien are both in great shape and are highly motivated to show what they can really do this season so I am confident they will bring some great results.”
Adding to the strong Irish contingent on the team is New Zealand star, Regan Gough. The 20-year-old, who joins from the Avanti Racing Team, made an outstanding start to the season already, winning the U23 National Time Trial Title. Gough also brings a significant CV of track cycling, winning gold in last year’s world championships in the team pursuit.
Also joining on one-year deals are 22-year-old Polish cyclist, Premislav Kasperkiewicz, Germany’s Jonas Bokeloh, Canada sprint expert Sean McKinnon and compatriot Adam Jamieson.
British trio Mark Stewart, Dan Gardner and Jacob Scott were also named in the 2017 squad, alongside, Dutch pair, Bas Tietema and Davy Gunst.
Lastly, adding to the plethora of young talent in this year’s squad is Massimo Vanderaerden.
Verderaerden hails from a family rich in cycling heritage. His father, Eric, rode on the World Tour and was once a fierce rival of An Post Team Director, Sean Kelly throughout their professional careers.
A new addition to the team’s management is Neil Martin, father of Irish rider Dan Martin. The former cyclist who rode in the 1980 and 1984 Olympic games has taken up the role as Directeur Sportif.
The squad’s first trip back to Ireland will come in May for the 65th edition of the An Post Rás.
The team was set up by Sean Kelly ten years ago as an extension of the Sean Kelly Academy to give young Irish cyclists a base from which to compete in Belgium, with the pro team designed to give young Irish riders access to a programme of top international races.
Their first race of the 2017 calendar will take place on the 29 January in the Grand Prix Cycliste la Marseillaise.
