Matt Brammeier signs for HTC-Colombia

Junior

Looks like a big step for the lad. Hope it works out for him !

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/5922/Irish-national-road-race-champion-Brammeier-signs-pro-contract-with-HTC-Columbia.aspx

RobFowl

I'd heard Mark McNally had a move lined but this didn't see this coming.
Well done to Matt and hope it works out well..

Chips Lovell

Fantastic news. Looks like his ride at the Worlds didn't go unnoticed.

RobFowl

el tonto wrote: »

Fantastic news. Looks like his ride at the Worlds didn't go unnoticed.

Mmmmmm, wonder if there was an unofficial combine with the Irish and British riders !!

Anyway he's had more than his fair share of bad luck and bad teams before so onward and upwards.

Junior

He's come back from horrendous injuries, so fair play to the lad.

RobFowl

Junior wrote: »

He's come back from horrendous injuries, so fair play to the lad.

He broke his leg badly a few years ago I think?

Chips Lovell

RobFowl wrote: »

He broke his leg badly a few years ago I think?

He got hit by a cement mixer truck. Broke both legs and one hip.

BTH

Forgive my ignorance here, but how is this guy Irish? According to wikipedia (I know, gospel) he was born in Liverpool and only declared for Ireland for this season gone by. And it's definately not an Irish name. Some people on here have a go at Roche for his Frenchness, will it be worse for Brammeier if he ever does anything??

ednwireland

BetterThanHoyte wrote: »

Forgive my ignorance here, but how is this guy Irish? According to wikipedia (I know, gospel) he was born in Liverpool and only declared for Ireland for this season gone by. And it's definately not an Irish name. Some people on here have a go at Roche for his Frenchness, will it be worse for Brammeier if he ever does anything??

he's wearing the national champions jersey at the moment !

BTH

ednwireland wrote: »

he's wearing the national champions jersey at the moment !

Oh, I know that, but how? 18 months ago is wasn't Irish, now he is and he's national champion?

BryanL

BetterThanHoyte wrote: »

Forgive my ignorance here, but how is this guy Irish? According to wikipedia (I know, gospel) he was born in Liverpool and only declared for Ireland for this season gone by. And it's definately not an Irish name. Some people on here have a go at Roche for his Frenchness, will it be worse for Brammeier if he ever does anything??

It's very simple, he was English while he was good enough to get funding from British cycling, but they dropped him.

Ireland got an English director of high performance, who offered him funding, so now he's Irish, Simples.

How it improves Irish cycling I don't know.

RobFowl

BetterThanHoyte wrote: »

Oh, I know that, but how? 18 months ago is wasn't Irish, now he is and he's national champion?

He qualifies for Irish citizenship through his grandparents. He's declared for Ireland at the start of the 2009 season and like many footballers and sportsmen before (not to mention Eamon DeValera :rolleyes:) is Irish despite not being born here.

RobFowl

BryanL wrote: »

How it improves Irish cycling I don't know.

He makes the team pursuit squad go faster, scores points on the UCI Europe circuit which helps qualify places for the Worlds and Olympic games and helps give the sport a higher profile.....

Lumen

RobFowl wrote: »

He makes the team pursuit squad go faster, scores points on the UCI Europe circuit which helps qualify places for the Worlds and Olympic games and helps give the sport a higher profile.....

Yeah, but apart from that what has he ever done for us? :pac:

Captain Havoc

I think he's cyclings Tony Cascarino, I mean who would have believed a guy with the name Cascarino and an English accent would turn out not to be Irish at all?

dave2pvd

BetterThanHoyte wrote: »

Forgive my ignorance here, but how is this guy Irish? According to wikipedia (I know, gospel) he was born in Liverpool and only declared for Ireland for this season gone by. And it's definately not an Irish name. Some people on here have a go at Roche for his Frenchness, will it be worse for Brammeier if he ever does anything??

Maybe there should be a test? Perhaps a 3 question format? And you could be the Bridgekeeper.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWS8Mg-JWSg

goldencleric

Anyway Irish or not, can't wait to see the HTC Irish champs jersey ...

BryanL

RobFowl wrote: »

He makes the team pursuit squad go faster, scores points on the UCI Europe circuit which helps qualify places for the Worlds and Olympic games and helps give the sport a higher profile.....

I've never seen the Irish pursuit team? Has anyone here seen them?
So I can't see how they are raising the profile of cycling?

Caroline_ie

if I had been Irish this year I would have won a real Bronze in women team sprint ... in France I would be nowhere ... If I am ever any better at cycling I might switch.

Congrats to Matt on the job!

niceonetom

BryanL wrote: »

I've never seen the Irish pursuit team? Has anyone here seen them?
So I can't see how they are raising the profile of cycling?

I've seen them on the BBC and eurosport at the worlds and stuff. Where would you expect to see them?

BryanL

niceonetom wrote: »

I've seen them on the BBC and eurosport at the worlds and stuff. Where would you expect to see them?

One place i never expect to see them is in the finals, but i haven't seen them on TV either, I'll keep looking though.

Chips Lovell

Interview with Matt Brammeier on Pez today.

Junior

Interesting Quote about life in Belguim

Over here the culture is totally different concerning cyclists. Here we are respected for what we do; back in UK we are hated for slowing their journey down by 30 seconds.

mcgratheoin

BryanL wrote: »

One place i never expect to see them is in the finals, but i haven't seen them on TV either, I'll keep looking though.

Well the Northern Ireland team came 3rd in the Commonwealth games - a team that included David McCann, Sean Downey, Philip Lavery and Martyn Irvine - you're obviously not looking hard enough...