Aqua Blue’s grand breakthrough with Vuelta invite
They were one of four teams who received the good news yesterday, with Cofidis, Credits Solutions as well as Colombian squad Manzana Postobon and Caja-Rural from Spain also getting the vote of confidence from organisers ASO.
It’s massive news for the Irish team who count former world track champion Martyn Irvine amongst their 16-man squad while four-time national champion Matt Brammeier and Conor Dunne make up the Irish contingent.
Team manager Rick Delaney, from Cork, could hardly keep his emotions in check when news of their invite broke.
“We spoke in the team presentation at the start of the year about winning on and off the bike,” he said.
“We dreamt about trying to perform at the highest level and we hoped that we might achieve a WorldTour start at some point in the future.
“It is an emotional moment. I dreamt of a Grand Tour start and now it has been realised,” he added.
The team have enjoyed a decent start to the year so far but have yet to take a win. Their squad of riders is not in the same league as the likes of Team Sky or BMC Racing Team but the men in blue will line up in Nimes against them when the race rolls out on August 19.
“Three months into our first season we have a Grand Tour invite,” continued Delaney.
“I believe it is very important to dream and this is evidence that dreams do come true.
“We are delighted and humbled to have received this incredible honour so early in our time. We are all looking forward to getting there to the start line in Nimes.”
They are perhaps a surprise inclusion in the race, as the team is racing its first season. And as a Pro Continental set-up, they are a tier below the World Tour which has 18 teams.
Their squad includes British national champion Adam Blythe, who hailed the team’s selection for the 2017 Vuelta as an “amazing achievement” while Danish rider Lasse Norman Hansen is another of their big stars.
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