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OFF-ROAD EVENTS : Shane Stokes Last Updated: 2 Apr 2018 - 8:45:17 PM

MCCONVEY HAPPY WITH NEW TEAM
By Shane Stokes
23 Jun 2009,

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Promising young Irish MTB rider Connor McConvey has avoided the difficulties caused by the folding of his Felt International squad by swiftly moving to the Dutch De Brink-Ten Tusscher setup. Earlier this month the Belfast competitor said that he had something in the pipeline, but couldn’t officially confirm the team at that stage; things are different now, and he has been able to give his reaction.

“The team is really super,” he said. “It’s morphed from the Cannondale-Vredestein team of last year, and Jan Ten Tusscher has been involved directly with almost all the top riders. He has a bit of a reputation of taking young good riders and turning them into real top performers. He had Gunn Rita, Bart Brentjens, Jakob Fuglsang when they were young, so it’s a super opportunity to be with him.

“It was disappointing that Felt stopped, but we saw it coming for ages. I was lucky – when the news of Felt started to get around, a few directeurs came up to me and asked me to contact them if needed. So that is what I did and I ended up with Jan.

McConvey has landed on his feet, saying that things have worked out even better than they were with Felt. Part of that is due to the stability there. “The team has been established for so long that everything runs smoothly,” he explains. “The setup is really good. Everyone knows their role, and it’s the typical Dutch mentality - when they say yes, its means yes.”

He has already had the chance to compete with the team, placing 26th in the Under 23 race at the fourth round of the German Bundesliga series. The HC race was held in Albstadt on Sunday 14th of June.

“It wasn't planned, I was there to sort contracts out and basically just jumped on,” he said. “The first proper race is this weekend in Wetter, Germany. The program doesn't really change – it is still all the World Cup and Bundesliga races, Worlds and European championships. The only thing is I’ll won’t do any of the Italian races. As for my goals, they remain the same; the Europeans, the Nationals, then the World Champs in Canberra.”

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Team press release:

Young Irish cyclist Connor Mc Convey has overcome the recent problems with the now non-existent felt MTB trade team by immediately signing with the dutch based Focus DeBrink-Ten Tusscher.

Team manager of the Dutch mountainbike team De Brink-Ten Tusscher, Jan Ten Tusscher, was able to recruit two former Team Felt racers in his young mountainbike team.

In 2008 Ten Tusscher was the man behind the scenes of the Cannondale-Vredestein team where Jakob Fuglsang raced his final year in the mountainbike sport and Roel Paulissen became world champion marathon...

Due to sponsoring issues, Ten Tusscher doesn't succeed in having a headline rider, but is greatly optimistic this will come for next season.

By recruiting 20-year-old Irish mountainbiker Connor McConvey and the 24-year-old Swedish racer Emil Lindgren, Ten Tusscher seems to be already preparing for the 2010 season to surprise the world again with a new team.

"As a team we are taking the next step sooner than expected.", he admits. "There was a unique opportunity to recruit these young and talented racers. I've spotted Connor long before now! Aged 20 and already number three of the world [under 21]... Emil had a good beginning of the season and I'm thinking he may become a very consistent top racer. Besides that, I like the North-European way of thinking: all no-nonsense guys."

Felt International Mountainbike Team was managed on a daily basis by AB ProCycling where Antonio Brozzu is holding the strings. When Felt Bicycles got word that there were financial problems between AB ProCycling and the team, the brand had to take action.

"Racers were only paid partially and the mountainbike project was having operational issues because of it.", states Felt Bicycles.

Other racers of the former Felt International MTB Team like Blaza Klemencic, Kashi Leuchs, Miguel Martinez, Daniele Mensi and Juri Ragnoli still need to publish what their plans are in the near

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