Team Ireland for Ras

shaungil

What's the views on the team announced for the Ras for Team Ireland
Neil Delahaye, Adam Armstrong, Conor McAllister, Mark McKinley and Simon Williams.

Strong? best team available? Just wondering don't know enough myself.

RobFowl

Looks more like a development team apart from Adam Armstrong and Neil Delahaye.
Hope they do well.

Wonder if David McCann, Martin Irvine, Stephen Barrett, Philip Lavery, Aaron Buggle, Sean Downey are riding for other teams.

Good to see Stephen Gallagher back racing (Sigma sport).

shaungil

Is there a development team racing too? Think I rem one last year or year before?

Would a decent Irish guy not want to reace for Team Ireland as opposed to his team or how does it work?

garminguy

are the edge team riding as the county cork team or as a trade team?

sunshinyday

Alot of lads like David McCann, Sean Downey and Phillip Lavery are contracted to their teams. In most cases their schedules are predetermined and the Ras might not always be the choice for their team or their team may choose to have them racing elsewhere.

Stephen Barrett and Martyn Irvine are with the Planet X team and presumably will be in selection processes for their team.

Araon Buggle like wise is racing with a team in france and the Ras might not be their priority

Its an honour to race for the National team but not always plain sailing. The national team will have different objectives for the Ras as would some of the other teams. As the Federation would want different exposure than trade teams.

In my opinion the team is not a bad one at all. Its good to see fresh names on the list, it gives these riders the honour of representing their country and for others to follow the knowledge that teams arent always made up of the obivious names.

Hopefully they have a good Ras and do themselves and their country proud.
Best of luck to them.

halfwheeler

the fact is... Lavery, downey bennett, buggle and conor mc convey are all going to the nations cup in quebec. Hence why theyre not on the team. Its not because of contracts or any of that.
As for the u23 for the ras, you are likely to see, tighernach murphy, charlie prendegast as definites. dont know who else... perhaps johnny cole from the north.
I dont know what the reasoning behind stephen halpin not being on a team!

cipo

I'd like to see a younger representative team to be honest!!

Rxpose the young guys to great hard racing and they ll learn from it...
Realistically, do any of us believe one of these listed on the subway Ireland team can win the Rás....???
I may eat my words but I can't see it happening...

It's like a few years ago, robin Seymour was picked for Irish team in order to gain preparation for Olympic mtb race and he had a very disappointin Rás, he is exceptionally talented but it wasted a representative spit I feel.
One that one of the younger guys could ve taken... Robin could ve ridden for any club team, as there are normally spots on club teams .....

I wish CI had a little more focus on young guys in big races!!

Just my opinion!