Anatoliy Pakhtusov

Maksym Vasyliev

Former world under 23 champion Dmytro Grabovskyy is one of five riders provisionally scheduled to ride this year’s An Post Rás in the colours of the Ukraine- ISD-Lampre Continental team. The squad looks certain to be one of the strongest in the race, and will line out on May 22nd determined to ride aggressively from the off.

Grabovskyy is regarded as a real enigma in the sport, marking himself out as a big talent early on when he won multiple European championships on road and track. He then won the world under 23 road race in Madrid in 2005, beating Ireland’s Philip Deignan and others to the line.

Netting second overall in the 2006 Baby Giro and winning a stage sealed the interest of several pro teams and he began a trial with the Quick Step team, soon securing a two year deal.

However things didn’t run smoothly for the Ukrainian, who failed to perform and then had a rather anonymous first year in 2009 with the ISD team. He revealed in 2010 that he had been battling a drink addiction, and resolved to get his career back on track. Taking the mountains classification in Tirreno–Adriatico promised much, but a bad crash hampered him once again.

He’s done little this season but if the 25 year old can find his focus again, his natural talent means that he could do very big things in the race.
However the team is not all about Grabovskyy. There are many other strong riders ready to chase results. Oleksandr Sheydyk has been one of the most successful riders on the team this year, netting second overall in the GP Sochi and placing fourth in the GP Donetsk. He’s continuing to ride well after a successful 2010, when he won a stage in the Tour des Pyrenees plus two in the Tour of Szeklerland in Romania.

Yuiy Agarkov has also been doing well, winning the GP Donetsk, and is also scheduled to ride the An Post Rás.

The provisional lineup is completed by Anatoliy Pakhtusov and Maksym Vasyliev. Pakhtusov previously won a stage and finished third overall in the 2008 Giro della Valle d'Aosta, and was seventh overall in the 1.1-ranked Tartu GP. The latter placed fourth in this year’s GP Sochi.

“We are pleased to welcome the Ukraine – ISD Lampre team to the An Post Rás,” said race director Dermot Dignam. “They look like a very promising squad and with close links to the Farnese Vini-Neri Sottoli team plus the top level Lampre squad, the riders have plenty of motivation to chase big results here.”

They join a number of other international teams, with the Australian Drapac Professional team, the New Zealand national selection, the US-based Wonderful Pistachios squad, the Greek/Spanish KTM Murcia lineup, the German Thuringer Energie team and the French AVC Aix en Provence squad being confirmed in recent weeks.

Yuriy Agarkov

Olekandr Skeydyk

The strong lineup will be further supplemented in the remaining month before the eight-day event starts.

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, as well as a total of 1247 kilometres.