Niklas Gustavsson Team Sprocket

Freddy Johnasson Team Sprocket

Swedish time trial champion Alex Wetterhall will be part of a strong five-man Team Sprocket squad for this year’s FBD RÁS, with the 23 year old being joined by a number of other promising young riders.

The team, which is managed by the 2004 Paris-Roubaix winner Magnus Backstedt, aims to nurture young talent in the sport and to chase big results. It will come to the FBD RÁS with specific goals in mind.

“The race is one of our major objectives of the season, both for stages and the overall classification,” said general manager Martin McCrossan, who will be acting as directeur sportif for the duration of the eight day, world-ranked race.

“It will be the first time we have raced in Ireland, but the terrain suits the riders we have. We are looking for a very strong performance in a race with the prestige and history of the FBD Insurance RÁS.”

The lineup will be finalised closer to the event but Wetterhall is very likely to ride. He will be joined by fellow Swedes Niklas Gustavsson and Freddy Johansson, the Australian Jack Anderson plus the British rider Tobyn Horton.

Gustavsson is 21 years of age and the former mountain biker is a very strong climber. He recently placed third in the Tour of the Reservoir Premier Calendar event in the UK, winning each of the hill primes.

Johansson is three years older than him and is a very fast finisher. His results last year included a promising sixth on a stage of the Circuit des Ardennes. He has the speed to win a gallop from a break or, alternatively, will act as leadout man for Horton.

The latter, a 23 year old Briton, is the designated team sprinter and was eleventh in this season’s Omloop van Het Waasland.

The likely team will be completed by Anderson, a 22 year old from Brisbane. He was runner up to Garmin pro Cameron Meyer in the Australian time trial championships in January, beating Luke Roberts (Team Milram) for the silver medal.

The riders will prepare for the FBD RÁS by riding the Tour de Bretagne plus other tough races in Europe. “We aim to arrive with good form,” said McCrossan.

“Team Sprocket is guided by former top pro Magnus Backstedt and I expect that the riders will put in a very strong performance,” said race director Dermot Dignam. “They will join a number of other big teams, including the previously-announced Drapac Porsche squad from Australia plus the New Zealand national team. We’ll be announcing other squads in the run up to the race.”

Jack Anderson Team Sprocket

Tobyn Horton Team Sprocket

This year’s FBD RÁS will begin in Dunboyne on May 23rd and concludes the following Sunday, May 30th. It will be 1219 kilometres in length, crosses 24 tough categorised climbs, and features stage finishes in Dundalk, Carrick on Shannon, Ougherard, Tipperary, Seskin Hill/Carrick on Suir, Gorey, Kilcullen and Skerries.

It will be once again sponsored by FBD Insurances and supported by the Irish Sports Council. The race is ranked as a 2.2 event on the UCI’s international calendar.