Iran, for the first time ever, will field a team in this year’s FBD INSURANCE RÁS 8 Day International Cycle Race, which starts in a little over two weeks time.
Speaking from Iran, Ali Zangi Abadi, vice president of the Cycling Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, confirmed that an Iranian national team will be the line-up for the big Irish event.
Iran now joins up with previously-confirmed teams from the USA, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Denmark, Germany and Australia in the world-ranked Irish tour, which begins in Naas on the 20th of this month.
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| Iranian Cycling Team Mahdi Fathi, Mohammad Rastad, Amir Shakeri and Mahmoud Tali |
“We are absolutely delighted with the news that Iran has chosen the FBD INSURANCE RÁS as one of its target events for this year,” said race organiser Dermot Dignam this week. “It’s a huge tribute to the race and a sign of the growing popularity of the race throughout the world, it also gives Irish cycling a wonderful opportunity of establishing cycling links with such a vast and powerful nation”.
The Iranian team will be made up of riders Mahdi Fathi, Mohammad Rastad, Amir Shakeri, Mobin Bagherzadegan and Mahmoud Talei.
“This is the good time for our team and its riders to take part in the race,” said Ali Zangi Abadi, double bronze medallist in the 1982 Asian games and current vice president of the Cycling Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran. “We hope we can have a good performance this year. We are aiming to finish in the top 10 on several stages, as well as reaching the podium on one of them.”
Mr. Ali Zangi Abadi confirmed that the Irish Embassy in Teheran has already approved their applications for visas and is hopeful the necessary documents will be issued in the very near future.
More international teams are expected to be announced in the next fortnight, making this a very high quality line-up for the prestigious 2.2 ranked race.
The 2007 FBD Insurance Rás will get underway on Sunday May 20th with a 157 kilometre stage from Naas to Templemore. The riders will cover almost 1200 kilometres of highly competitive racing as they travel anti-clockwise around the country, taking in additional stage finishes at Loughrea, Sligo, Dungloe, Buncrana, Derry, Newcastle and Skerries.
The race is sponsored once again by FBD Insurances and also receives important backing from the Irish Sports Council.
