In Europe the An Post Chain Reaction Sean Kelly team face a double header this weekend, as Jack Wilson and Sam Bennett are part of an eight man team to take on the Ronde van Overijssel (1.2) in Holland on Saturday. Wilson will be joined in the side by Niko Eeckhout, who came within a wheel of recording his first victory this season at last weekend’s Zuid Oost Drenthe Classic.
Eeckout was just pipped to the line by Jeff Vermeulen (Metec-TKH Continental Cyclingteam) and team manager Kurt Bogaerts explained that the veteran’s experience may have counted against him.
“We aimed to get a podium finish and Niko delivered that. He rode very aggressively all day and was involved in every big move; in the end he came very close and just missed out on the win. At his age he’s a marked man in the peloton – everyone knows how good he is from experience and therefore they keep an eye on him during the race. He just needed that little bit of luck to win the race, but I’m not disappointed, it will come.”
Ronan McLaughlin and Sean Downey are the other two Irishmen in the An Post setup and they will ride the Circuit de Wallonie (1.2) in Belgium on Sunday.
Bogaerts is hoping that the team will be at the top of the podium this weekend.
“The morale is great at the moment and we have had a few podium finishes so I’m really hoping that this is the week that we get the win. We have great chances to do so in both races.”
An Post Chain Reaction Sean Kelly Team for Ronde van Overijssel (1.2) Holland, Saturday May 4
- Jack Wilson (IRL)
- Sam Bennett (IRL)
- Niko Eeckhout (BEL)
- Pieter Ghyllebert (BEL)
- Glenn O'Shea (AUS)
- Aaron Gate (NZ)
- Shane Archbold (NZ)
- Wout Franssen (BEL)
An Post Chain Reaction Sean Kelly Team for Circuit de Wallonie (1.2) Belgium, Sunday May 5
- Ronan McLaughlin (IRL)
- Sean Downey (IRL)
- Mark McNally (UK)
- Kieran Frend (UK)
- Alphonse Vermote (BEL)
- Nicolas Vereecken (BEL)
- Laurent Vanden Bak (BEL)