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Race Officials
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British And American Squads In Line Up For Rás Tailteann
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| Damien Shaw Holdsworth |
As the weeks tick down towards the May 20 start of the Rás Tailteann, a further two overseas squads have been confirmed for the world-ranked event.
Former Irish national road race champion Damien Shaw and talented young rider Sean McKenna are the first two to be named for the Britain Holdsworth Pro Racing Team. The rest of the squad is yet to be decided, but the two Irish riders have amassed plenty of experience in the race and will share that with their teammates.
Shaw won the national championships in 2015 and finished second, second and third on stages in that year’s Rás. He was also fifth overall in 2016 and again last year. As for McKenna, he was fourth in the mountains classification in 2017 and took 15th overall. He went on to place fifth in the national road race championships.
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| John Harris CCB Velotooler |
“Sean has had a good start to the 2018 season, winning races in Ireland, while Damien always has great form in May,” said sports director Dean Downing. “Perhaps one of our Italian sprinters will be on the team, along with one of the young Irish under 23 riders. It’s a tough decision to choose just five riders. But hopefully we will have a few surprises up our sleeves with our international riders.”
The team will do a series of big races as part of its build-up, including the Tour de Yorkshire. Downing believes the squad will be exactly where it needs to be as it starts the event.
“The Rás is such a hard race to control as it’s a small team of five riders,” he said. “But we will go in with stage win ambitions and to place riders in the big breaks on the queen stages in this year’s race. We will have no leaders, just five lads working hard together each stage.”
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Multiple Stage Winning Team Amongst Squads Announced For 2018 Rás Tailteann
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| Jasdon Van Dalen Delta Cycling |
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| Will Fox,KTM |
A week after the announcement of the first two international squads for this year’s Rás Tailteann, two more teams have been revealed for the race. The Netherlands Delta Cycling Rotterdam team has shone in the past two editions, winning two stages under the Cyclingteam Join's - De Rijke name in 2016 and then repeating that tally last year via Jan Willem Van Schip and Daan Meijers.
In addition to that, Ike Groen was a superb second overall, while Meijers won the points classification.
“Our first goal is to win a stage,” states team manager Jim van den Berg. “We strongly believe in by riding for day wins, the classification will follow automatically. We will not start with protected riders who will try to save energy. That might be a tactic later on, when the general classification comes within reach.” More>>>
Two International Teams Announced For Ras Tailteann
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| Rory Townsend, Canyon Eisberg |
With just over six weeks to go until the start of the 2018 Rás Tailteann, the first two international teams have been announced for the event. The British Canyon Eisberg and Saint Piran squads have confirmed their attendance and are aiming high in what is Ireland’s most prestigious cycling race.
Dexter Gardias will be one of the big guns on the Canyon Eisberg squad, having taken third overall last year in the King of the Mountains competition. He was also fourth on stage one in 2016. He will be joined by fellow Britons Max Stedman, Louis Rose Davies and Matt Nowell, plus newly-declared Irishman Rory Townsend in the event.
Townsend has clocked up five top-ten results in UCI races. These include second in the 1.2-ranked Midden Brabant Poort Omloop, as well as ninth in the 1.1 Rad am Ring. He was also points classification winner in the 2.2 Tour of Quanzhou Bay and mountains classification victory in the 2.1-ranked Tour of Almaty. More>>>
Rás Tailteann Jersey's
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| The full kit. |
To celebrate the legacy of Rás Tailteann and to contribute to its future, we are producing this stunning commemorative cycling kit. Wear the official Rás Tailteann cycling kit as a badge of honour knowing you have helped contribute to the races future, while celebrating its past. All support is greatly appreciated, proceeds will contribute to the running of the event.
Pre order until the April 6th for delivery by the May 20th
Shop now;
CLICK MORE FOR LINK More>>>
Gabriel Howard, Legendary Figure In Irish Cycling
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| Nicholas Roche being interviewed by his good friend Gabriel Howard |
‘Everybody knew Gaybo the length and breadth of the country and beyond’ - Gabriel Howard, a legendary figure in Irish cycling, passed away earlier this month following a farm accident, writes Paul Fitzpatrick
The 1963 Rás Tailteann, the 12th renewal of the race, was groundbreaking. In first place was Zbigniew Glowaty of Poland, the first non-Irish champion, who beat Kerry’s Dan Ahern into second.
Behind him in sixth was Christy Kimmage, father of future Tour De France rider and leading journalist Paul. And way back, clinging on to a friend on a service motorcycle, was a man whose name would become synonymous with the annual event and the sport of cycling itself — Gabriel ‘Gaybo’ Howard, from Stamullen, Co Meath. More>>>
The 2018 Rás Route
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| The 2018 Rás Route |
Rás Tailteann route 2018 (UCI 2.2 race)
Stage 1, Sunday May 20: Drogheda to Athlone, 136 kms:
Stage 2, Monday May 21: Athlone to Tipperary, 148.7 kms:
Stage 3, Tuesday May 22: Tipperary to Listowel, 140.4 kms:
Stage 4, Wednesday May 23: Listowel to Glengariff, 153 kms:
Stage 5, Thursday May 24: Glengarriff to Mitchelstown, 150.2 kms:
Stage 6, Friday May 25: Mitchelstown to Carlow, 154.6 kms:
Stage 7, Saturday May 26: Carlow to Naas, 141.2 kms:
Stage 8, Sunday May 27: Naas to Skerries, 144.6 kms:
Total: 1180.5 kms
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The Late Gabriel Howard
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| The Late Gabriel Howard |
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Ras Tailteann Still Seeking A New Sponsor For 2018
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| Eimear Dignam |
Having learned earlier this year that An Post was stepping away after many years of backing the race, the organisers of the Rás Tailteann have said that they are still seeking a new backer for the 2018 edition.
“We are still looking for a sponsor,” Eimear Dignam told the Irish Times on Thursday. “We have had talks with a couple of different prospective sponsors, but so far nothing has come from that.
“We are looking for title sponsors, but if we are not successful with that, we are happy with two or three sponsors to come in as a unit.”
The race has been a part of Irish sport since 1953 and is the biggest cycling event in the country. It is a world-ranked event on the UCI calendar and has played an important part in the development of many successful riders, including world champions such as Stephen Roche and Tony Martin. More>>>
Gerry Keogh Stage Winner In His First Rás Tailteann
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| The Late Gerry Keogh |
Ratoath native Gerry Keogh, who died in Dublin recently, was a prominent cyclist at a time when Meath riders were enjoying considerable success nationally, in the 1950’s. A native of Halltown on the Skyrne Road Ratoath, he lived in Clonsilla, and was aged 91 when he passed away at Connolly Memorial Hospital Blanchardstown on the 16th November 2015.
Working in Dublin as a young man, he began his cycling career with The National Cycling Club in his twenties. He worked in Allied Irish Finance alongside Kerry cyclist, Gene Mangan, having earlier worked at construction, including operating what was then Ireland’s biggest crane at the building of the church in Finglas.
He took part in his first Rás Tailteann in 1955, and won the sixth stage, a testing 88 mile spin from Cork to Tralee over mountainous terrain. He was in an eight-man breakaway group for nearly 100 miles before breaking away on his own in the closing stages to win by 10 seconds from Gene Mangan, Kerry who was the outright winner. More>>>
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