Cycling Ireland is delighted to announce Grant Thornton as title sponsor for the Irish Team competing in this years’ 2005 FBD Insurance RÁS. Grant Thornton have supported Cycling Ireland at International level for the last number of years, and this support confirms their continued commitment to the sport in Ireland.

Grant Thornton in Ireland has been a premier provider of accounting, consulting, audit, personal financial planning, corporate and personal taxation, corporate recovery and insolvency, and corporate finance services to the Irish business community for many years.

Paudi O'Brien of Team Ireland Grant Thornton

The riders in the Grant Thornton Team Ireland are Stephen Gallagher, Paidi O’ Brien, John Dempsey, Conor Murphy and Bryan Keane, with Cian Lynch managing the team.

The Grant Thornton team are in good shape ahead of Sunday’s start of the FBD Milk RÁS from the GPO in Dublin, with Paidi O’Brien taking 3rd in the Fleche Liedekerke one day race in Belgium on Monday, while at home John Dempsey and Conor Murphy have taken decisive stage wins in the Tours of Munster and Ulster, with Dempsey being the outright victor in Munster.

Grant Thornton Ireland rider Brian Keane inspecting spokes with Dermot Dignam and Adrian Taheny

”Grant Thornton are associated with Irish Cycling at the highest level, at home and abroad. Our riders will be aiming to build on successes of previous Irish teams in this great race. Stage wins and a high overall placing are a possibility”, says Cian Lynch, Team Manager, “ primarily though, I’ll be looking for this young team to work together to achieve results.”

The race will start from the GPO at 12:30 on Sunday with the first stage finishing in Emyvale, its then on to Tubbercurry, Lisdoonvarna, Templemore, Abbeyleix, Rathdrum and Wicklow Town. The final stage will take place in the Phoenix Park at 3pm on Sunday 29th, preceded by a full programme of under-age races starting at 10:30am