Newton to challenge Richardson’s Rás reign
Newtown underscored his well-being at the world track championships in Denmark where he finished fourth in the points race and his Rás experience gives him an extra edge on his rivals. Team-mates Dan Craven, Ben Greenwood, Jonathan Tiernan Locke and Matt Cronshaw will provide him with the best possible support.
The team manager, John Herety, who is a former professional, said their line-up reflects this year’s slightly hillier route and pointed out that the fact they will be riding the Tour of Japan the week before should ensure they will be ready.
“The initial goal will be stage wins and, if things go well in the first few days, the general classification,” said Herety who has guided a number of riders to overall victory in the past.
Defending champion, Simon Richardson, returns with The Sigma Sport team which includes Irishman Stephen Gallagher who won the race with the An Post/Grant Thornton/M Donnelly/Sean Kelly team in 2008.
“We are coming to the Rás with the clear objective to win,” said manager Matthew Stephens.
“We have the two most recent winners in our squad and both are in very good form. They will be well supported by Kit Gilham, who was the 2008 King of the Mountains, Wouter Sybrandy and James Williamson, who are all extremely talented riders in their own right.”
The British-registered Planet X team has a very strong Irish representation, with four of the five riders from this side of the Irish Sea.
Former stage winner Roger Aiken, Martyn Irvine, Stephen Barrett and Gary Crory will join up with Mark Lovatt, who competed in the race on many occasions and is a former race leader.
Former Ireland manager, Frank Campbell, will direct the riders. He managed the victorious 2004 squad, which won the FBD Rás with David McCann.
Motorpoint Marshalls’ Pasta team and the Isle of Man are other strong UK squads that have been confirmed along with teams from Austria, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, the USA and Wales.
And, 10 years after Julian Winn took the only Welsh victory ever in the race, Wales have submitted a list of strong riders from which they will select their final five including Dale Appleby, Rhys Lloyd, Paul Esposti, Huw Wilson, Matt Rowe and Jon Mould.
Appleby, 23, finished 12th overall and was best young rider in the 2008 Rás and currently rides for the new Team Raleigh who aim to compete in the Tour de France within five years.
US-based Paul Esposti, 37, will also travel for the UCI 2.2-ranked event.
He represented Wales in the 1998 Commonwealth Games and was fifth in the US Elite championships last year while Matt Rowe, 21, is a former European junior scratch race champion and Rhys Lloyd, also 21, has built good experience riding with the Rapha Condor team in 2008 and 2009.
This year’s FBD Insurance Rás will begin on Sunday, May 23, in Dunboyne and runs for eight days.
It will be 1,219kms in length, crossing 24 tough categorised climbs, and featuring stage finishes in Dundalk, Carrick-on-Shannon, Oughterard, Tipperary, Seskin Hill/Carrick on Suir, Gorey, Kilcullen and Skerries.
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