Ryan Brosner Team Recycling.Co.Uk

The high quality line-up of this year’s FBD Insurance RÁS has been further boosted by the news that two-time winner Chris Newton will lead the Stena Line recycling.co.uk pro team in this year’s race, which starts in Naas on Sunday week. Former World Champion Newton is returning to target stage wins for his young team-mates and a possible third victory for himself in the world-ranked event.

“While Chris is capable of recording his third victory” said manager John Herety, ”the team is going to have its work cut out with so many powerful teams in the race, and because we will have such a young squad. Tactics will be very important as a result. Perhaps we will be able to piggyback the efforts of other teams.” Herety also believes that 23 year olds Graham Briggs and Ryan Bonser are on the verge of a major breakthrough to big time international cycling. 

Newton is in fine form this season, winning the British Premier Calendar Bikeline 2-day race in March and netting a stage win plus second overall in the Girvan three day. He is currently lying second overall in the Premier Calendar series. 

Graham Biggs Team Recycling.Co.Uk

The 33 year old’s FBD Insurance Rás record is arguably the best in recent memory. In 2002 he took second overall, three stage wins and the points jersey in the race. One year later he returned to win the overall title plus a stage, then repeated the feat in 2005 when he took the final yellow jersey and three stage wins.

Last year, he won the opening stage of the FBD Insurance Rás, then went on to play a selfless supporting role for the eventual winner, his then-team-mate Kristian House.

Newton has a very impressive background, winning the track World Championship points race and team pursuit titles in 2002 and 2005 respectively. He has taken silver and bronze medals in the Olympic team pursuit [2004 and 2000], and last year landed a Commonwealth Games title at the same discipline.

The team is completed by 19 year old Tom Diggle and 18 year old Adam Bonser.

Tom Diggle Team Recycling.Co.Uk

Adam Bonser Team Recycling.Co.Uk

Diggle finished tenth on the first stage of the Cinturon Tour last month but then had to pull out due to food poisoning. Now back to full health, the 19 year old will be keen to show off the talent which saw him win the best under-17 prize in the 2005 M. Donnelly Junior Tour, a stage win there last year, plus the overall classification in the 2006 Junior Tour of Wales. Adam Bonser landed two stage victories in last year’s M. Donnelly Junior Tour and had the overall classification sewn up, but unfortunately crashed out on the final stage.

Stena Line has a long association with the FBD RÁS and is the official maritime carrier for the world-ranked 8 day race, being responsible each year for the massive task of bringing teams from Scandinavia, Britain and continental Europe. Mr. Eamonn Hewitt Communications & PR Manager for Stena Line’s Irish Sea Organisation said “Stena Line is delighted to support the FBD Insurance RÁS again this year.  The Company has a relationship that goes back many years not only with this great event but with Cycling Ireland also.

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.