The An Post Sean Kelly team today announced that they have signed talented up and coming Irish rider Jack Wilson and current Omnium World Champion Glenn O’Shea from Australia, both on one year deals.
Wilson, a former national junior champion, spent last season with UCS Crabbe Performance VOO team based in Limburg, Belgium. The team announced recently that they were unable to put a squad together for the 2013 season which opened the way for a move to the An Post setup.
The nineteen-year old Antrim native is no stranger to his new team having previously joined their winter training camp in Calpe at the start of last season. He was also selected in the fifteen man squad for Team Ireland at the Road and Time World Championships in Holland last September, alongside his new team mates Sean Downey, Sam Bennett and Ronan McLaughlin.
An Post team manager Kurt Bogaerts has been impressed with Wilson, but admits his first year with the team will be more of a learning process.
“Jack is very young, but for his age he has a lot of ability and huge potential. I was impressed with him at our training camp last December and the Irish guys on the team spoke very highly of him at this year’s World Championships. He is already familiar with the Belgian and European style of racing so I think this will be a big help to him for the coming season”.
Current Omnium World Champion Glenn O’Shea is another exciting rider who has joined the squad for the 2013 season. The twenty-three year old Australian native took gold in the Omnium and silver in the Team Pursuit at the Track World Championships this year, while he also competed for his country at the London Olympics.
O’Shea will bring considerable experience and talent to the side and Bogaerts expects him to make an immediate impact.
“Glenn is a very exciting signing for us. He is current Omnium World Champion so he brings that winning mentality into the team and I expect him to play a big part in the year ahead. Glenn has also experienced road racing in Belgium before, so the transition will not be a problem for him”.
O’Shea will compete at the 2013 UCI Track World Championships in Belarus in February so he will join up with his new team mates at the start of March.
One Irish rider who has gone on to pastures new is Connor McConvey, who leaves after a second stint with the team. The Belfast man impressed during this year’s An Post Rás, finishing 7th in the general classification.
Following his departure Bogaerts wished him well.
“Connor was with the team on two separate occasions and during that time had some notable results, particularly in the Rás. I wish him all the best with whatever team he signs for next year.”