Two Dans show our boys the way to go

CYCLING NEWS: THIS SEASON, if any of the An Post M Donnelly Grant Thornton Seán Kelly team needs inspiration when the going gets tough, they need just consider the two Dans, Lloyd and Fleeman.

The two Britons were with the Irish pro squad in 2008 and rode strongly in the An Post colours; by the end of the year, both joined the top-level Cervélo Test Team and now race alongside Tour de France winner Carlos Sastre.

Fleeman and Lloyd have a chance to compete in some of the sport’s biggest races, finally making the big breakthrough in pro cycling. For the five Irish riders on the Kelly team, that’s the sort of example to follow if they want to jump to the next level.

Rás champion Stephen Gallagher, national championship silver medallist Paídí O’Brien, Mark Cassidy and Ronan McLaughlin have all returned from the 2008 squad, and will join Belgians Benny De Schrooder, Kenny Lisabeth, Steven van Vooren, Jef Peeters, former national champ Niko Eeckhout, plus the Briton Matt Brammeier.

A new Irishman on the team is triple national road race champion David O’Loughlin, who also has strong track credentials. The Olympian recently finished an excellent third in the individual pursuit at the Beijing track world cup, and finished sixth in the world track championships last March. He’s likely to concentrate on that discipline until this year’s worlds, then turn his focus to the road.

“I’m really looking forward to racing with the An Post team and the race programme this year,” O’Loughlin said this week. “I’m particularly excited about working with Seán Kelly . . . that is a dream come true, to be honest.

“I learnt a lot last year and I think combining the track and road racing this year will work well, as they can complement each other.”

The team recently had a training camp in Calpe, Spain, and the first group of riders will begin racing in the Grand Prix Marseillaise in France this Sunday. They will then start the five-day Etoile de Bessèges on Wednesday.

Fixtures: Today:Carding application deadline. Contact Cycling Ireland at 01-8551522 for details. Sunday: Connacht training race, starts 10.30am at Bohola Community Centre.