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| Dale Appleby Raleigh Pro 2010 |
Ten years after Julian Winn took the only Welsh victory in the FBD Insurance RÁS, a team of riders from Wales will have the chance to follow in his wheel tracks when they line out in the race next month.
Five from Dale Appleby, Rhys Lloyd, Paul Esposti, Huw Wilson, Matt Rowe and Jon Mould will be selected for the prestigious round-Ireland contest, which begins in Dunboyne on May 23rd.
Team manager Gareth Sheppard said that the event would be a big target for the team. “As it is Commonwealth Games year, we are starting the build up to the Games at the FBD RÁS, which will be a very important first step towards Delhi,” he said.
“The aim will be to compete for the overall, while hopefully picking up a couple of stage wins along the way. Final selection for the road team will be made after the British Road Championships in June, so you can be sure that all the Welsh riders will want to lay down a marker for their selection.”
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| Paul Esposit Wales |
The team will be led by Dale Appleby, a 23 year old who finished 12th overall and was best young rider in the 2008 FBD RÁS. When not on national team duty, the former Under 23 national time trial bronze medallist will be competing with Team Raleigh this season, a new pro setup that has the aim of riding the Tour de France within five years.
American-based Paul Esposti (37) will also travel for the UCI 2.2-ranked event. He represented Wales in the 1998 Commonwealth Games and was fifth in the US Elite championships last year. Matt Rowe (21) is a former European junior scratch race champion, while Rhys Lloyd (21) built some good experience riding with the Rapha Condor team in 2008 and 2009.
The six man panel is completed by Jon Mould (19), who took one gold and two bronze medals in the 2008 British track championships, plus Huw Wilson.
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| Matt Rowe Wales |
“It’s a decade since Julian Winn became the first Welshman to win the FBD RÁS and these riders will head to the race aiming to do likewise,” said race director Dermot Dignam. “The team is a good addition to what is shaping up to be a very high-class field. We’ve already announced teams from New Zealand, Australia, Sweden and the US, and we’ll be giving away more details about the lineup in the weeks ahead.”
This year’s FBD RÁS will begin on Sunday May 23rd and runs for eight days. 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.
