It is a reflection of the growing reputation of the FBD Insurance Rás that this year’s edition boasts the biggest ever line-up of riders. An unprecedented number of this 200-strong field are competitors from abroad, presenting a formidable overseas challenge and guaranteeing what should be a particularly exciting race.
The world ranking points on offer for this 2.2 ranked event have proven to be a big draw this time round, with teams travelling from many parts of the world. In attendance will be squads from Estonia, Czech Republic, Canada, Netherlands, Norway, Britain, Wales, Scotland, Germany and France, plus a record six teams from the US.
Leading the charge are three previous foreign winners of the event, namely Julian Winn, Paul Manning and Chris Newton. Winn competed as a pro with the Fakta team in 2001, riding the Giro d’Italia and winning the Grand Prix Villers-Cotteręts in France. He leads a solid Wales Stena Line team in the FBD Insurance Rás and, supported by Jamie Norfolk, Paul Sheppard, Robert Partridge and Lewys Hobbs, is aiming to repeat his 2000 victory.
Manning and Newton, Rás champions in 2001 and 2003, front the professional Team Recycling.co.uk/MG-XPOWER/Litespeed squad. The two are accomplished road riders who have taken world championship medals on the track. Last year they were part of the GB squad that netted silver in the Olympic Team Pursuit, and certainly have the experience and speed to win the Rás again. Their challenge will be backed by Rob Sharman, Shaun Snodden and Ben Greenwood.
Tommy Evans also lifted the Rás trophy, taking the race in 1996. The northern rider is competing as part of the overseas Planet X squad, and their lineup is likely to be a real danger as regards stage wins and the overall classification. Kevin Dawson, John Tanner and former Tour of Spain points winner Malcolm Elliott have all landed stage victories in the past, while Mark Lovatt has held yellow in the race.
The team gave a hint of what they could achieve in the recent Shay Elliott Memorial, with Dawson and Tanner taking a rare one-two at the end of the tough Wicklow event. They have competed in the FBD Insurance Rás on numerous occasions and so have a real insight into the tactics that are required to win overall. In addition, the team is managed by Frank Campbell who last year guided the Irish national selection to their victory; could he work his magic again this time round?
Further afield, a couple of previous stage winners are returning to the race. Andrew Randell, stage winner into Castletownbere three years ago, will lead the Canadian professional Jet Fuel Coffee team along with Stig Somme. They will be supported by the promising young riders Zach Bell, Kevin Miller and Mark Pozniak. The squad travels to Ireland from Belgium, where they were racing and preparing for the Irish tour.
1998 stage winner Sigvard Kukk is also coming back, leading the Estonian professional Kalev Chocolate Classic Bicycles squad in the race. The 33 year old Athens Olympian finished sixth overall in 1998 and is aiming for another good performance this time round.
Kukk will be backed by four riders in his bid for Rás glory. Twenty four year old Mart Ojavee and twenty three year old Andri Lebedev are two of Estonia’s young hopes for the future. Ojavee has been the country’s best track rider over the past three years, while Lebedev was sixth in the World Junior Championship in 2000 and fourth in the Estonian Road Race Championship last year. The squad is completed by Andrei Mustonen and Mirko Pőldma.
Czech Republic team Elmarco KK Cube Dukla Liberec also looks promising, with 29 year old Czech Cup winner Rostislav Krotky and talented climber Jiri Korbel being supported by Jan Novak, Ondrej Pavelka and Michal Stasny. Korbel is aiming for the under 23 prize in the race.
The Norwegian team Sparebanken Vest will be lead by thirty year old Are Andresen, who finished a close second in last year’s Tour of Bulgaria, took third overall in the Norwegian Cup and who is a member of his country’s time trial championship team.
The other four riders, Morten Christiansen, Morten Hegreberg, Gabriel Rasch and Stian Remme, are also strong enough to play a big part in the race. Christiansen has taken two wins and a second place in the last three editions of the Norwegian Cup, won three stages of the Tour of Hungary and was best climber in the international Ringerike Grand Prix. He notched up 8 other victories last year. Hegreberg has been in fine form this season, winning the UCI-ranked GP Ottergem and the GP Aalst Criterium. He has finished in the first four in the last three Norwegian Road Race Championships.
The Dutch Team B&E have previously competed in the Rás and so have a knowledge of what to expect there. Their line-up is Tino Haakman, Richard Kooijman, Aldo Klomb, Sander Lormans and Gerard Windhouwer.
Across the Atlantic, Team TIAA-CREF completes the list of pro squads in the race. The under 23 squad was formed by former top pro Jonathan Vaughters two years ago with the aim of nurturing the best American talent. Most likely to impress this month are the current US national Espoir (under 23) champion, Ian McGregor and Blake Caldwell, a twelve-time junior national champion. The squad is managed by US Olympian Colby Pearce, who finished third in the 1999 Rás.
The record US entry of six teams is completed by Team Guinness, McGuire Cycles, Boston Scientific, Ventilux First Mortage and Tailwind Sports. Irish riders Nobby O’Reilly, Mick Walsh (both Ventilux First Mortgage) and Emmett Hogan (US McGuire Cycles) will be riding as part of the US contingent and will be aiming for a good showing on home roads.
Completing the lineup of teams travelling for the May 22nd start are a Scottish National selection, the German team Stevens von Hacht, France’s Entente Cycliste Raismes Petit- Foret, England North-East, England Surrey Racing League, England East Angliasport and Scotland West. All in all, it’s a pretty formidable overseas presence and one which bodes well for some exciting, open racing.
