An
Post Grant Thornton M. Donnelly Sean Kelly team rider Matt Brammeier grabbed an
important success for the squad today when he won the Elite men’s road race
championship in Sligo.
The
25 year old got the better of pre-race favourite and defending champion Nicolas
Roche (Ag2r La Mondiale), jumping early inside the final 500 metres and then
showing his strength when he held off his breakaway companion. He finished
several lengths clear.
“This is by far my biggest victory,” he said after the podium ceremony. “I
didn’t expect this at all. I was quietly confident that one of us from the team
would win, but though it would be David [O’Loughlin]. He was super-strong today.”
Brammeier is from Liverpool but declared for Ireland last year, on the basis
that his grandparents are from the country. He has been competing for the Irish
national team on the track and also for the Irish-backed An Post squad.
The win is big news for the team, which took second and third twelve months ago.
It won two stages in this year’s FBD Insurance Rás and will now be able to boast
a national champion in its ranks.
Roche had wanted to wear the champion’s jersey in his second Tour de France,
which begins next Saturday. “The race didn’t go well enough for me,” the
disappointed rider said. “Matt was strong…I tried to attack him a few times
coming to the finish but couldn’t get away from him. He jumped early and I
couldn’t get back to him.”
Roche’s cousin and fellow ProTour professional Daniel Martin (Garmin Transitions)
outsprinted the Irish time trial champion David McCann (Giant Asia) for third,
the duo crossing the line 16 seconds back. Brammeier’s team-mate David
O’Loughlin took fifth, while Martyn Irvine (Planet X) was sixth. |
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The
Halfords Tour Series comes to Belfast and Dublin this weekend.
This Friday sees the return of elite city-centre cycling to Belfast, as The
Halfords Tour Series races into the city for an action packed hour of
professional racing. Riders from ten teams, including Team Ireland and the AN
Post Sean Kelly cycling team will do battle from 19.30 onwards in the first of a
two-race Series that takes in Belfast and Dublin. Provincial teams from Cycling
Ulster, Leinster, Munster and Connacht will also be taking part in The Halfords
Tour Series races, as the teams fight it out for the right to be crowned
Halfords Tour Series champions.
Among the riders taking part will be multiple Irish Champion David O’Loughlin,
rising star of Irish cycling Philip Lavery and former FDB Insurance RAS winner
Stephen Gallagher.
Martyn Irvine from Newtownards will be racing for Team Ireland, and is looking
forward to racing on home roads.
“It’s terrific”, said Irvine. “I can’t wait to show off the Irish jersey at
home. I think it’s been coming a long while for Belfast, so it should be a good
show.
“It’ll be a nice big carnival atmosphere with everyone out, so it’ll be good to
see.”
Irvine has been racing for Team Ireland in the ten-round Halfords Tour Series in
England, and believes that will be ideal preparation for the Belfast and Dublin
races.
“It’s good to do it and get your eyes open to see where you need to be at and
what you need to be doing. It’s perfect preparation.”
Richill based Orchard Wheelers rider and top sprinter Simon Williams is another
member of the Team Ireland line-up.
“It’s probably the first time I’ll have been racing in Belfast, certainly the
city centre,” said Williams. “It’s been a long time since we’ve had a criterium
in the centre.
It’s a good thing for the city and the people of Northern Ireland. Hopefully it
should be a good show and we’ll do ourselves proud.”
Like Irvine, Williams has also been racing for Team Ireland in England and
thinks that will help him and the rest of the team achieve good results in
Belfast and Dublin.
“We’ve got a major advantage against the rest of the Irish riders and the AN
Post riders coming into this style of racing, so hopefully it’ll be good for us.”
Former Commonwealth Games medallist and winner of The Halfords Tour Series
Canary Wharf Tony Gibb will be leading the charge of the four English teams
taking part, as he captains the CyclePremier.com – Metaltek team.
Teammate Andrew Magnier is excited by the prospect of racing in Belfast and
Dublin.
“I’m really looking forward to it, it’s going to be quite a hard weekend of
racing with the two events back-to-back.
“I’m looking forward to experiencing what it is like to race in Northern Ireland
and Ireland, and I’m expecting a lot of people will come to watch, so it should
be a great atmosphere.”
Team Raleigh, Sigma Sport – Specialized and Motorpoint – Marshalls Pasta will be
the other three teams contesting the two races.
Uniquely, The Halfords Tour Series focuses on the teams rather than individual
riders. The winning team will be the outfit that claims the most points from the
two-events, with points awarded on a 10 down to 1 basis according to each squads
finishing position.
Each races lasts for one hour plus five laps, while there will also be three
intermediate races during each evening’s event in the Boardman Bikes Sprint
competition, that will see the best sprinter of the two-round Series crowned in
Dublin on the Saturday night.
The Halfords Tour Series Belfast takes place at 19.30 on Friday 18th June, with
support events from earlier in the day including the Travelwise Commuter Relay
at 19.00. The main race starts at the front of City Hall and is based upon a one
kilometre circuit taking in many central Belfast streets including Donegall
Square South, May Street, Seymour Street and Chichester Street.
The Halfords Tour Series Dublin takes place at 18.00 on Saturday 19th June, with
a circuit based in the Temple Bar area of the city, beginning on Lord Edward
Street at 18:00 and including Dame Street and Eustace Street. © Copyright 2010
IrishCycling.com |
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Fresh from their FBD Insurance Rás heroics the An Post Sean Kelly team are back
in action
at
the Wavre-Rijmenam this weekend. The team returned to their ‘home from home’
base in Belgium earlier this week and face their first race back in the country
on Sunday.
Rás stagewinner and King of the Mountains victor Mark Cassidy is one of two
Irishmen in the team, Matt Brammeier being the other. Liverpudlian Mark McNally
and Belgians Kim Borry, Stijn Minne and Maxim Debusschere complete the line up.
Team manager Kurt Bogaerts was looking to build on last weeks great results to
ensure the side keeps their momentum going.
“I was especially delighted for Cassidy when he won stage seven, (of the Rás) as
it meant so much to him. He is full of confidence at the moment so I expect a
big performance from him again this weekend.”
“Last week was great for everyone, but it’s in the past. We want to keep
improving for the second half of the season and it starts from Sunday.” Bogaerts
added. |
