Teggart and Vanderaerden amongst new signings for An Post-Chain Reaction

An Post Chain Reaction Sean Kelly team has secured promising Irish talent, Matthew Teggart. The 20-year-old Ulsterman has signed with the team for the 2017 season joining fellow compatriot Sean McKenna, who has signed a new one year deal.

Teggart, who spent the last two years racing for French DN2 team, Amicale Cycliste Bisontine, hails from a rich cycling heritage. His father and uncle both represented Ireland at the Commonwealth Games while his grandad rode in the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. Growing up on the racing scene ignited his passion for cycling and Teggert believes the move to An Post will give him the opportunity to fully showcase his talents.

“I’m thrilled to join the An Post team. When the offer came, I knew it was the perfect fit. I can’t wait to get going; to be part of the professional set up they have and compete at Continental level is something I’m so excited about. I’ve learned a lot in the last few years, and I feel I’m ready and able to cope with the demands of racing in Europe from my experiences with Amicale Cycliste Bisontine. I know there’s still a lot to learn, but I have racing in my blood and I just want to keep getting better and better.”

Team manager, Kurt Bogaerts sees a big future in Teggart: “On the European and World stage, Teggart is very impressive. He was going very well at the Worlds (UCI U23 Road Race World Championships) last year and unfortunately a crash near the end of the race stopped him from getting a top ten result. He’s got a lot of raw talent so it will be about harnessing that for him to improve his performances in bigger races.”

Dublin native, Sean McKenna, who also hails from a strong cycling family, joined the An Post Team last year in August upon completion of his studies. With several tough races already under his belt, Bogaerts believes McKenna is primed to push on to the next level:

“He dominated in Ireland before he came to us but racing on the European stage is completely different. He got a taste for it last season, like in the the Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen. He’s raced well so far, but with more international race experience in his legs, he’ll progress even more. He’s got an excellent mentality, which will also take him very far and I think it will be exciting to watch him progress next season.”

Also joining the An Post squad for 2017 is Belgium’s Massimo Vanderaerden, son of Eric Vanderaerden, who historically was a fierce rival to the team’s Director, Sean Kelly throughout their professional racing careers.

Young Dutch rider, Davy Gunst who was previously a member of the Rabobank team, is another exciting coup by Bogaerts while Briton, Jacob Scott, will return to the set up for the upcoming season.

Bogaerts expects to sign further talents in the coming days. The An Post Chain Reaction Sean Kelly team riders will come together later this year for their first training camp in Calpe, Spain before the start of the 2017 season.