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| Michael Singer |
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| Stefan Probst |
Motivated by its excellent third place overall in last year’s FBD RÁS and third in the teams classification, the Austrian KTM-Gebrüder Weiss squad will return to this year’s race, which starts next month, determined to clock up another strong showing.
“Our team is concentrating on riding the 2.HC-ranked Tour of Austria plus events in other European countries. So we are glad that we have the opportunity to do the FBD RÁS again,” said Josef Kugler, the likely team leader. “We are a young and highly motivated team which posted some very good results last season. The most impressive was the stage five victory at the Tour of Austria by Jan Barta, but he also took third overall in the FBD RÁS and the whole team performed well.”
Barta will not contest the race this time round as he has moved to a different squad for 2010. Instead, the team will be comprised of the Austrians Kugler and Hannes Gründlinger, who competed in the 2009 FBD RÁS, Michael Singer and Stefan Probst, plus the Romanian rider Lars Pria.
Kugler finished eight on stage one and 12th overall in the race last year, and also took seventh in the Tour of Hokkaido. The 26 year old has represented Austria in three road race championships, racing at junior and espoir level, and will be able to draw on that experience in Ireland. His previous participation in the race plus his results suggests that he will be the rider most likely be in contention for the general classification.
Singer (21) is a track specialist and has clocked up a number of Austrian national championship medals for both road and track. Gründlinger (32) is a strong domestique and spent several years as a pro with Team ELK Haus Simplon, while Probst (30) has two national Under 23 time trial bronze medals to his credit.
Pria completes the lineup; the 27 year old is a national road race championship bronze medallist, and will be one of the team’s main hopes for the sprints
“We are looking forward to this race and we are sure that we can perform there at a high level,” said Kugler. “Our overall goal is to represent our sponsors well and to give a good performance every day, as we did in 2009. While we know that there will be good teams at the start, we think that we can place a rider in the top ten overall and perhaps take a nice stage result.”
Race organiser Dermot Dignam welcomes the team back. “The riders performed strongly last year, taking third overall, performing well in the team classification and netting several top-ten placings. We look forward to seeing what they can do this time round, especially with the benefit of having ridden the FBD RÁS before. As anyone who has taken part in the race knows, the pattern of racing is quite unique due to the small teams and aggressive racing. Having competed last year will certainly improve their chances.”
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| Lars Pria |
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| Hannas Grundinger |
Thus far teams have been confirmed from Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, the USA, Wales and now Austria. More international teams will be announced in the weeks ahead.
This year’s FBD RÁS will begin in just under a month’s time 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, Oughterard, 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.
