The Welsh national team and the German Bike Aid squad are the latest teams confirmed for this month’s Rás Tailteann bringing the number of international teams announced to ten.
Peter Kibble, Zachery May, Dan Coombe, Will Roberts and James Tillett have been listed as the likely starters for the Welsh squad. Kibble represented the country in the time trial and road race at the recent Commonwealth Games, netting 15th in the former and helping compatriot Jon Mould take silver in the latter.
May was seventh in last year’s 1.2-ranked Rutland – Melton Cicle Classic while Coombe was ninth in the 2017 OberÖsterreich Juniorenrundfahrt 2.1 event for juniors.
“Pete will be our GC rider and aiming to impress in the mountains,” says team directeur sportif Rob Partridge, who rode ten editions of the Rás and was a superb fourth overall in 2015. “Zac will be looking for stage wins on the flatter days, and bring some experience to the team.
“We have a strong back up with James, Will and Dan who are great all-rounders and can be up there on their day as well. Four of the five riders are U23, so a target as a whole would be the young riders’ jersey. Our options are very much open, and I’m excited to head to Ireland with this group of talented riders as part of our new U23 programme within Welsh Cycling – Wales Racing Academy.”
The Germany Bike Aid team previously competed in the Rás Tailteann in 2012, 2013 and 2016. This year’s line-up includes Nikodemus Holler, who won the mountains competition and finished tenth overall in 2016. He also won last year’s Tour du Cameroun, and will be the team’s general classification rider for the race.
Lucas Carstensen will be the team’s designated sprinter, and has stage victories to his credit in the 2018 La Tropicale Amissa Bongo plus the 2017 Tours of Senegal and Xingtai. Also set to appear are former Eritrean national champion and 2017 African Continental time trial champion Meron Teshome, the 2015 Tour of Egypt runner up Adne Van Engelen and Patrick Lechner, third on a stage of the 2016 Tour du Cameroun.
“The team’s goals are to fight for the general classification win, and to take stages,” said team coordinator Timo Schäfer.”
The squad will do a series of UCI-ranked races as part of its build-up.
“Just as was the case with the previously announced international teams, these latest two squads will help shape the 2018 edition,” says race director Eimear Dignam. “Both will have guidance from riders who have done the race before, and the Germany Bike Aid team can also draw on the Rás experience of Nikodemus Holler. This will help greatly in getting the best possible results, and in shaking up the race.”
