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Last Updated: 14 Oct 2020 - 12:47:15 PM |
DRAPAC PROFESSIONAL CYCLING TEAM AND NEW ZEALAND SQUAD FOR AN POST RAS
By Press Release
24 Mar 2011,
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With less than two months to go until the start of this year's An Post Ras, two strong teams have been revealed as the first international squads confirmed for the prestigious race.
Both are from the southern hemisphere, with the Australian Drapac Professional team and New Zealand national squad returning a year after competing in the 2010 edition.
The Drapac riders were amongst the strongest last year, with the team working well together to help Joe Lewis net a superb second on stage four to Tipperary, sixth on stage six to Gorey, and a fine eighth overall. Stuart Shaw was also fourth on stage eight to Skerries.
Lewis has since moved to the Trek Livestrong under 23 team, but Shaw is expected to return at the helm of the squad. He is likely to be joined by former Australian road race champion Darren Lapthorne, who rode the race with Rapha Condor in 2009 and took an excellent fourth overall.
Also travelling will be fellow Australians Rhys Pollock and Thomas Palmer, as well as the Dutchman Floris Goesinnen. He will be very much one to watch, having taking the King of the Mountains prize in both the Three Days of De Panne and the Eneco Tour. He moved to the team after several seasons with the Skil Shimano team, and is determined to have a big year.
"Our goals will be a stage win, the King of the Mountains classification and also we'll go for top five in the general classification," said Drapac's European coordinator Dirk Van Hove.
Several riders of the New Zealand team are about to compete in the track world championships. The squad for the An Post Ras will include 2008 Olympic team pursuit medallist Marc Ryan, who competed in the race last year. He was sixth on the tough fifth stage to the top of Mount Seskin.
Also returning is Shane Archbold, who was third on stage six to Gorey and also clocked up seventh place in the big sprint which decided the final stage. He has had a successful showing on the track of late, winning Omnium events at the Melbourne and Manchester track World Cups. He'll compete in the world track championships as one of the favourites for a medal.
Those in the running for the team also include Cameron Karwowski, a former team sprint world junior track champion, as well as Aaron Gate, Myron Simpson and William Bowman.
"Our goal will be to win stages and see how the overall race develops we know the Ras can be unpredictable," said team manager Stephen Connell. "We'll have some good races before going to Ireland as we'll do all the Nations Cup races in April, including the Tryptique Ardennais in Belgium and the Rund Um Finanzplatz."
"All the lads are very much looking forward to coming back to the Ras they had a great experience last year and really enjoyed the unique atmosphere of the race."
An Post Ras race director Dermot Dignam believes both squads will play a major part in the results. "The teams rode well last year and now that they have an idea of what the race is about, we think they will be even more competitive," he said.
"The teams are just two out of what will be a very good lineup this May, and we are really looking forward to the event."
The 2011 An Post Ras will begin in Dunboyne on Sunday May 22nd and will feature stage finishes in Portumana, Kilrush, Castleisland, Castletownbere, Blarney, Tramore, Kildare and Skerries. The tough route includes 29 categorised climbs, of which three are first category ascents, plus eight days of racing and a total of 1247 kilometres.
It is the first to be sponsored by An Post. More strong teams will be announced in the near future.
NEW ZEALAND
Shane Archbold
Marc Ryan
Westley Gough
Thomas Scully
Aaron Gate
AUSTRALIA Drapac Porche Pro Team
Joe Lewis
Peter McDonald
David Pell
Rhys Pollock
Stuart Shaw
Route Details
Stage 1, Sunday May 22: Dunboyne - Portumna, 148 kms
Stage 2, Monday May 23: Portumna - Kilrush, 164kms
Stage 3, Tuesday May 24: Kilrush - Castleisland, 175kms
Stage 4, Wednesday May 25: Castleisland - Castletownbere, 142kms
Stage 5, Thursday May 26: Castletownbere - Blarney, 156kms
Stage 6, Friday May 27: Blarney - Tramore, 172kms
Stage 7, Saturday May 28: Tramore - Kildare, 157kms
Stage 8, Sunday May 29: Kildare - Skerries, 133kms
For further details log-on to; www.anpostras.com
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