Ireland are set to field a strong line-up at the second round of the UCI Nations’ Cup, the U23 Tour of Flanders which takes place in Oudenaarde tomorrow.
The team is made up of Eddie Dunbar (Axeon – Hagens Berman), Matthew Teggart (An Post-Chain Reaction), Daire Feeley (U.C. Monaco), Michael O’Loughlin (Team Wiggins), Angus Fyffe (Omagh Wheelers Cycling Club) and Darragh O’Mahony (O’Leary Stone Kanturk).
Dunbar has had a great start to the season finishing second overall last weekend at Triptyque des Monts et Châteaux (2.2) in addition to taking second and seventh on two stages. Earlier this season, Dunbar also took a very impressive fifth overall at Volta ao Alentejo (2.1) and 16th at Gent – Wevelgem U23/Kattekoers-Ieper. At last year’s race, Dunbar finished in 20th place, just 19″ down on winner David Per (Slovenia) who has since been signed by Bahrain-Merida.
Matthew Teggart also impressed at Triptyque des Monts et Châteaux last weekend where he finished in 15th position on the final stage and last month he gained a top ten on one of the stages of the Tour de Normandie.
Daire Feeley signed for U.C. Monaco this season having previously ridden for Team ITAP. Since joining his new team, he has taken a number of solid results including third at GP Rhone-Alpes Sud and ninth at the Ronde de Montauroux. Michael O’Loughlin is coming off the back of a big block of racing having ridden three stage races in the past month including the Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali where he was up against WorldTour opposition.
On the domestic scene, both Angus Fyffe and Darragh O’Mahony have enjoyed a number of wins this season. Fyffe has won the Wallace Caldwell Memorial, McCann Cup and John Moore Memorial, while O’Mahony has won the Rás Luimni, Newbridge GP and the Des Hanlon.
Amongst the riders who could be expected to challenge for victory are Jasper Philipsen (Belgium) who won Triptyque des Monts et Châteaux last weekend. Cees Bol of the Netherlands finished in the top 10 at Flanders last year and went on to achieve numerous good results including winning the Olympia’s Tour. Also on the Dutch team is Pascal Eenkhorn who won the Youth Classification at the Tour de Normandie recently.
U.S.A. are also sending a strong team with U23 Gent – Wevelgem runner-up Ian Garrison, Neilson Powless and Logan Owen on their line-up. Norway’s Rasmus Tiller was third at U23 Gent – Wevelgem and is also set to start as is former World Junior Road Race champion Jonas Bokeloh (Germany).
The riders will face eighteen climbs during the 168-kilometre race which starts and finishes in Oudenaarde. Amongst the climbs they will tackle are the Leberg and Berendries and the cobbled climbs of the Oude Kwaremont, Paterberg and Taaienberg.
