Kelly feels new riders give team extra depth

CYCLING NEWS: THE 2009 line-up for the An Post M Donnelly Grant Thornton Seán Kelly team was officially presented to the media yesterday, with only Irish rider David O'Loughlin absent.

The Mayo cyclist is currently in Copenhagen and will today line out in the individual pursuit at the World Cup there, four weeks after he took an excellent bronze medal in the Beijing round of the series.

The other four Irishmen on the team were all at the presentation in Tielt, Belgium, and each said they were hoping for a strong year ahead.

Returning after last season are Stephen Gallagher, Paídi O’Brien, Ronan McLaughlin and Mark Cassidy.

“The team is looking good this year and we have several new riders,” said Seán Kelly, referring to O’Loughlin, plus the Belgians Jeff Peeters, former champ Nico Eeckhout and Steven Van Vooren.

“We have got a good programme of racing, with invites to some big races, and think the team is better than last year’s line-up.”

Some riders have already competed in two French events. Next up is the prestigious Volta ao Algarve in Portugal, starting next Wednesday and running for five days.

After that the team is scheduled to head to a series of big Belgian contests, including Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne, Le Samyn, and Driedaagse van West Vlaanderen.

Irish targets will include the FBD Insurance Rás, national championships and Tour of Ireland.

Team manager Kurt Bogaerts is optimistic.

“We had a good season in 2008 and want to build on that. An Post has increased its input and our overall budget is larger.

“We could actually have moved up a level to being a Pro Continental team but decided against it for now in order to allow Irish riders to continue to develop at the right pace.”

Gallagher, who won the 2008 FBD Insurance Rás, said he has been training hard at home in Richill.

O’Brien and McLaughlin have spent several weeks in the heat of Australia, while Cassidy is currently trying to get to grips with a biomechanical imbalance caused by his bad crash in last year’s Rás.

O’Loughlin has been focusing uniquely on track racing, and this weekend’s World Cup will be his final event prior to the World Championships next month.

After the individual pursuit he will join David McCann, Paul Healion and Martyn Irvine tomorrow for the team pursuit.

Sam Bennett will ride the points and scratch races today and tomorrow, and Healion will do the time trial.