An Post - Chain Reaction Cycles 2014 Team Launch

An Post - Chain Reaction Cycles 2014 Team Launch 

The 2014 cycling season is underway and with the spring classics just around the corner the An Post – Chain Reaction Team, headed by Sean Kelly and Kurt Bogaerts, is ready to show off its new kit and rising Talents. The Irish team based in Belgium launched its seventh year on the road in Brussels’ Shamrock Hotel, yesterday evening in front of sponsors, Irish and Belgian journalists and Jeff Liffey head of Cycling Ireland. With new signings, Irish riders Conor Dunne and Marcus Christie and Australian native Robert-Jon McCarthy, fresh motivation and an indomitable attitude 2014 is set to be a good one for An Post - Chain Reaction.

The team is setting out to improve on the success of last year with two stage wins in the RAS and A stage in the Tour of Britain, With former team-mate Sam Bennett now riding for the German team NetApp – Endura, it’s a tall order but with the talent of Jack Wilson and Sean Downey it is not out of reach. Trying to improve on last year’s performance may be ‘Pushing the boat out too far’ but ‘I feel we can do something the same, we have the pool of riders that are capable of doing that.’ Said Sean Kelly. With the Tour of Britain moving up to new race category (1.1HC) the Team no longer get handed a spot and need to fight hard for a place in this year’s addition. But with talent such as Jack Wilson and Sean Downey both Sean Kelly and Kurt Bogaerts believe they can do it.

The Team has signed a new two year contract with title sponsors An Post and ‘we are a very happy with the deal’ Kelly said. Co-title sponsor CRC are entering their second year with the team ‘Chain Reaction is very important because if we did have Chain Reaction Cycles (CRC) these past years we wouldn’t be able to [run] the team, we’d have to make cut backs somewhere. We’ve upped our training camps and our race programme, without CRC’. As Co-Manager Kurt Bogaerts illustrates ‘There is no certainty with cycling’ sponsors come and go. CRC also provided the Vitus bike for the team which Sean Kelly and the team have lent a hand in designing. The Whole team seem motivated and in high spirits, with a very relaxed atmosphere but one thing is for certain they won’t be taking it easy on the road or their competitors.