The fourth international team for this year’s An Post Rás has been confirmed, with a strong pro squad travelling from Spain for the race.

Marcos Garcia KTM-Murcia

The KTM-Murcia squad has been competing in some big events this year, including the Tour of Andalusia and the Tour of Murcia, and should be one of the strongest teams in the Irish event. It includes very experienced professionals, including some who have competed in cycling’s Grand Tours in the past.

KTM-Murcia joins the previously-confirmed Drapac Professional (Australia), Wonderful Pistachios (USA) and New Zealand teams in the lineup for the 2.2-ranked Irish tour

The squad for the An Post Rás is due to be led by the promising climber Marcos García, a 24 year old who has previously competed in the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a España. Last year he was second in the prestigious GP Llodio event in the Basque Country, as well as placing third in the Vuelta a La Rioja. He was also seventh in both the Subida al Naranco and the Tour of Slovenia.

Also set to travel to Ireland for the May 22nd start is Héctor González, who last year clocked up his first two victories as a pro when he won stages in the Tour de Beauce and the Tour de la Guadeloupe. The team will also bank on Oscar García-Casarrubios, who took the first stage of the Tour de Venezuela last year.

The other two riders who complete the KTM-Murcia squad are the sprinters Javier Benítez and José Antonio Carrasco. Benítez has clocked up 22 career wins and previously taken silver in the national elite road championships and a top ten finish on a stage of the Vuelta a España. He was third on stage three of the recent GP Costa Azul. Carrasco has a number of good finishes to his credit, including a top ten result in the prestigious Scheldeprijs Vlaanderen.

The team’s results suggest it will be one of the strongest squads, even if team manager José Antonio Ortuño chooses to play things down slightly. “It will be a very hard task to be fighting for the [overall] victory because it is a very demanding route, but we will try to do the best,” he said. “We will try to play our strengths in the climbs with Garcia, Gonzalez and Garcia-Casarrubios, and in the sprints with Carrasco and Benitez. We are very grateful to the organizers for inviting the KTM-Murcia team to the race.”

Hector Gonzalez KTM-Murcia

Race director Dermot Dignam has little doubt that the riders will be in the thick of the action. “The team’s line-up looks very promising and with some of the riders having competed in Grand Tours in the past, they will certainly have the endurance and strength needed for this eight-day event,” he said. “We believe they will be targeting stage victories and the overall classification.

“This is the fourth overseas team to be confirmed and shows that the line-up for 2011 is a very exciting one. We’ll be announcing more teams as the race approaches.”

The 2011 An Post Rás will begin in Dunboyne on Sunday May 22nd and will feature stage finishes in Portumna, Kilrush, Castleisland, Castletownbere, Blarney, Tramore, Kildare and Skerries. The tough route includes 29 categorised climbs, of which three are first category ascents, plus eight days of racing and a total of 1247 kilometres.

It is the first edition of this great race to be sponsored by An Post.

The KTM Spanish Team For An Post Rás

James.oreilly@ogilvy.com

aileen.mooney@anpost.ie 

dermotdignam@anpostras.com