2014

Norwegian And Canadian Teams Boost Impressive Line-Up For 2014 An Post Rás
Mar 28, 2014, 06:43

An Post Rás organisers have today confirmed two more international teams for this year’s edition, adding to the already formidable line-up in place for the world-ranked race.

Niclas Akvik Norway

The Norwegian Continental team Motiv3 Pro Cycling and the Canadian national team will join four previously announced international squads in the eight day event, which begins in Dunboyne on Sunday May 18th.

The Canadian team includes Rémi Pelletier-Roy, who last year finished second on stage four and a superb fourth overall. Having ended up just forty seconds off the top of the podium, he will be determined to push for the winner’s yellow jersey this time round.

Pelletier-Roy will be joined by former Junior Tour of Ireland winner Stuart Wight, current Canadian Under-23 champion Alex Cataford, 2013 Canada Games medallist Matteo Dal Cin and the experienced Nic Hamilton.

According to team manager Luc Arseneau, the riders are building up for the Commonwealth Games later this year but regard An Post Rás as a major objective. “Following last year’s performances at the Rás, we will be looking for some stage wins as well as getting on that final podium.”

Stuart Wight Canada

He said the riders have already started producing some solid results this year and will have a good build-up. “Rémi Pelletier-Roy just won the season opening Delray Twilight Crit in Florida and Matteo won a stage at the Tucson Bicycle Classic.

“The riders for the An Post Rás will have two programmes in April. Some will be racing in Belgium, while others will stay in America to race the Tour of Gila. Early May, they all will meet in California to ride the Los Angeles Velodrome before going across the ocean to Ireland.”

Many of the riders have a track background and will have the discipline and pure speed to have a major impact on the race. Pelletier-Roy, Wight and Cataford all rode in last year’s edition and the important experience they picked up last May will undoubtedly boost their chances of success this time round.

The Norway Motiv3 Pro Cycling Continental team will itself include another rider who competed in the race before, with Sondre Linstad Hurum returning two years after a very aggressive display which saw him lead the King of the Mountains classification.

Niclas Akvik Norway

He will be joined by sprint specialist Frans Leonard Markaskar, who was previously the country’s national mountain bike cross-country champion and a medallist in Norway’s Criterium Championships last year.

Also on the team are the all-rounders Anders Kristoffersen and Niklas Akvik, plus the 2012 National Junior Team Time Trial Champion Sivert Fandrem.

“We will travel to the An Post Rás to race in a very aggressive way,” states the team’s directeur sportif Fred Arne Enger. “We will be focussing on stage wins and the mountains jersey. We took part in the race two years ago and held the mountains jersey for two days. We were also second on one stage. We are very excited to return and hope that we can add colour to the race.”

An Post Rás race director Tony Campbell had previously confirmed the participation of Tirol Cycling from Austria, the Kuota Pro Team from Germany plus the Belgian and New Zealand squads. He is expecting big things from the latest two teams to be announced.

Frans Markaskard Norway

“Norway Motiv3 Pro Cycling and the Canadian national team both mean business and should be very powerful additions to the line-up,” he states. “The fact that both teams will include riders who previously raced here is very important. They will have the experience needed to master the tactics of what is a very complex, and unpredictable event. I fully expect them to battle it out for both stage wins and the final yellow jersey.”

The 2014 An Post Rás will begin in Dunboyne on Sunday May 18th and will feature stage end finishes in Roscommon, Lisdoonvarna, Charleville, Cahirciveen, Clonakilty, Carrick on Suir, Baltinglass and Skerries.

It will once again be a 2.2 ranked event on the UCI world calendar, and will feature a large number of international and professional teams.

For More Information Contact:

David Foster                            David.foster@ogilvy.com

Or

Tony Campbell                         tonycampbell@anpostras.com