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FBD Insurance Rás Start List 2007
Included in the start list for the 2007 FBD Insurance Rás are two previous winners Chris Newton ReCycling.Co.Uk 2003 and 2005 and David McCann Ireland winner in 2004.
In the 2007 event Newton rides for the strong Stenna Line ReCycling.Co.Uk Team while McCann wears the Green Jersey of the Irish Team once again. More>>>
Iran Out Of FBD Insurance Rás
When the gruelling FBD Insurance RÁS gets underway from Naas on Sunday missing from the start line will be the five man strong Iranian team. It appears an elaborate plan was in operation to use the race as a means of persons entering the country, and not for to tackle the big Irish international cycle race.
Following months of negotiating with what appeared to be a legitimate Vice President of the Iranian Cycling Federation race organiser Dermot Dignam was alerted to the possibility of a scam over the past few days when agreed procedures were breeched by the Iranians. Commenting on the situation Dignam confirmed that “following discussions with the Iranian Embassy and immigration officials we immediately cancelled arrangements for the team’s participation in the FBD RÁS”. More>>>
Cycling Ireland Announce Team for FBD Insurance Rás
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| Mark Scanlon Former Junior World Champion |
Cycling Ireland has announced SUBWAY Eat Fresh as sponsor of the National Team, for the upcoming FBD Insurance Rás, which starts in Naas on Sunday 20th May 2007.
Leading the SUBWAY Eat Fresh Irish Team is current National Champion, and winner of the Rás in 2004, David McCann. He is joined by Paul Griffin, Dermot Nally, Martyn Irvine and former World Junior and double National Champion, Mark Scanlon.
Commenting on the team, National Team Manager, Cian Lynch says “ This team has great strength and depth. Mc Cann has a great record in this race, claiming the overall in 2004 – Griffin, Nally and Scanlon have all scored stage wins in the Rás. The sole Espoir on the team, Martyn Irvine, has impressed with his rides on the U23 Espoirs National Team at Picardie and Liege Bastogne Liege, culminating with a win on the 1st Stage of the Tour of Ulster." More>>>
FBD Insurance Rás Press Reception
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| Adrain Taheny Director Markrting & Sales FBD Insurance Plc Model Roberta And Issac Speirs Dublin Murphy & Gunn Newlyn |
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Countdown ToThe FBD Insurance Rás
A top class field of 150 riders from Ireland, Germany, Denmark, Australia, Estonia, Czech Republic, Iran, Netherlands, Britain and the USA will face the starter when the FBD INSURANCE RÁS 8 Day International Cycle Race gets underway from Naas town centre next Sunday, 20th May.
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| Chris Newton Double Winner 2003 & 2005 |
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| David McCann Ireland Winner In 2004 |
Included in the thirty teams are nine Continental (pro) teams, Australia FRF Couriers NSWIS, Britain’s Stena Line recycling.co., Czech Republic Sparta Praha, Danish Team Vision Bikes, Estonia Kalev Chocolate, Germany’s Thuringer Energie, the USA’s Team Kodak and Team Kelly Benefit Strategies, and of course, Irelands only pro team Murphy & Gunn-Newlyn-M. Donnelly- Sean Kelly.
The strictly amateur side of the sport is represented by national teams from Ireland, Iran and the Netherlands under-23 squad. Fourteen county teams, three British regional and one German club team are also in the line-up.
Ireland’s David McCann, winner of the race in 2004 and racing in Asia and the USA since, spearheads the home challenge while Britain’s Chris Newton, winner in 2003 and 2005, has the form, class and team support to join the great Sé O Hanlon and Kildare’s Paddy Flanagan in having three RÁS victories on their CV. More>>>
Ireland’s Pro Team And Dutch U23s Complete International Line-Up For FBD Insurance Rás
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| Paidi O'Brien Irish U-23 Champion 2006 |
Ireland’s only professional cycling team, Murphy & Gunn-Newlyn-M.Donnelly-Sean Kelly Racing Team, and a powerful Dutch national under 23 squad join Denmark, Germany, Australia, Iran, Estonia, Czech Republic, Britain and the United States in completing the international line-up for this year’s FBD Insurance RÁS, which starts from Naas next Sunday week.
Team Murphy & Gunn-Newlyn-M. Donnelly-Sean Kelly will be led by current Under 23 Irish Champion, Paudi O’Brien, and includes Mark Cassidy, Stephen Gallagher, Simon Kelly and Belgian Glenn Bak. With a return to his best form 22 year old Cassidy, son of twice RÁS winner, Philip, will certainly be in the running for a high GC placing. Simon Kelly, a top-class sprinter, should improve on his great 6th place overall last year and will also be in the thick of the action for stage wins. Stephen Gallagher and Belgian Bak can also be relied on the keep the team flag flying high. More>>>
Double FBD Rás Champiom Newton Leads Team Stena Line ReCycling .co.uk In FBD Insurance Rás
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| Chris Newton FBD Insurance Rás Winner 2003 & 2005 |
The high quality line-up of this year’s FBD Insurance RÁS has been further boosted by the news that two-time winner Chris Newton will lead the Stena Line recycling.co.uk pro team in this year’s race, which starts in Naas on Sunday week. Former World Champion Newton is returning to target stage wins for his young team-mates and a possible third victory for himself in the world-ranked event.
“While Chris is capable of recording his third victory” said manager John Herety, ”the team is going to have its work cut out with so many powerful teams in the race, and because we will have such a young squad. Tactics will be very important as a result. Perhaps we will be able to piggyback the efforts of other teams.” Herety also believes that 23 year olds Graham Briggs and Ryan Bonser are on the verge of a major breakthrough to big time international cycling.
Newton is in fine form this season, winning the British Premier Calendar Bikeline 2-day race in March and netting a stage win plus second overall in the Girvan three day. He is currently lying second overall in the Premier Calendar series.
The 33 year old’s FBD Insurance Rás record is arguably the best in recent memory. In 2002 he took second overall, three stage wins and the points jersey in the race. One year later he returned to win the overall title plus a stage, then repeated the feat in 2005 when he took the final yellow jersey and three stage wins. More>>>
Irish Sports Council Supports FBD Insurance Rás
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| Bartlomiej Matysiak Poland |
Once again this year the Irish Sports Council’s financial support for the FBD Insurance RÁS will be acknowledged with the presentation each day of the Irish Sports Council White Jersey to the leading young rider in the Best Young Rider Classification.
One of the most coveted awards for young riders in any major tour the white jersey of Best Young Rider singles the winner out as having the potential to go all the way in the tough sport of professional and world cycling.Commenting on Irish Sports Council financial support for the race Chief Executive, John Treacy, said "I am pleased the Irish Sports Council is associated with the recognition of young talent in such a tough international event as the FBD Insurance RÁS." He also praised FBD Insurance for its continuing support for Irish sport.The final Irish Sports Council White Jersey of 2007 will be presented to the overall winner of the classification when the race finishes in Skerries on Sunday 27th May.
Eight days of gruelling racing will bring the field of 150 from at least ten countries to exciting stage finishes in Templemore, Loughrea, Sligo, Dungloe, Buncrana, Derry, Newcastle and a circuit finish in Skerries. The race will start for the first time ever in Naas. More>>>
Iran For FBD Insurance Rás
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| Mobin Bagherzadeghan Cycling Federation Of Iran |
Iran, for the first time ever, will field a team in this year’s FBD INSURANCE RÁS 8 Day International Cycle Race, which starts in a little over two weeks time.
Speaking from Iran, Ali Zangi Abadi, vice president of the Cycling Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, confirmed that an Iranian national team will be the line-up for the big Irish event.
Iran now joins up with previously-confirmed teams from the USA, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Denmark, Germany and Australia in the world-ranked Irish tour, which begins in Naas on the 20th of this month.
“We are absolutely delighted with the news that Iran has chosen the FBD INSURANCE RÁS as one of its target events for this year,” said race organiser Dermot Dignam this week. “It’s a huge tribute to the race and a sign of the growing popularity of the race throughout the world, it also gives Irish cycling a wonderful opportunity of establishing cycling links with such a vast and powerful nation”.
The Iranian team will be made up of riders Mahdi Fathi, Mohammad Rastad, Amir Shakeri, Mobin Bagherzadegan and Mahmoud Talei.
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Strong US Professional Teams Announced For FBD Insurance Rás
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| Dominique Rollin Canadian National Champion |
Two more top notch teams have been added to the impressive lineup of this year’s FBD Insurance Rás, with the announcement that Continental squads USA KodakGallery.com-Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. and USA Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast Pro Cycling will be competing in the race.
Both teams will travel to the 2.2 ranked Irish tour with high ambitions, and race director Dermot Dignam expects a strong showing.
“Last year the USA-TIAA CREF team went close to winning the event, with former world under 23 champion Danny Pate taking second in the closest-ever FBD Insurance Rás,” he said. “We believe that the KodakGallery.com-Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. and Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast Pro Cycling teams will also be a major factor, and look forward to see their riders fighting for stage wins and the overall classification.
”The USA KodakGallery.com-Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. team will be led by three very experienced riders. Reigning Canadian national champion Dominique Rollin will take part, fresh from his successes in the Comcast Jacksonville Crit (NRC) and Jacksonville Road Race. More>>>
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