New Irish pro Conti team (aka The Aquablue thread)

RobFowl

MPFGLB wrote: »

Yeah and when they are hoping for a Tour of Britain invite as well ...which is on at the same time as the Vuelta...have they enough riders to cover both racea and do them justice I wonder ( 9+8 =17 ....not sure thay have 17)

I know riding the Vuelta is big but maybe could have won (more) at ToB.. and its a mega race in UK

I think you can safely say the Vuelta invite trumps a ride at the TOB. Simply don't have the numbers, they have 16 riders afaik and even allowing for a few stagiares etc injuries etc will all most certainly mean 1-2 at least won't be available.

dastardly00

Out of the 12 Grand Tour wildcard places available, 11 out of the 22 Pro-Continental Teams have gotten chosen.

That's seriously impressive from Aqua Blue Sport to get into the Vuelta considering the quantity of Pro-Conti teams that exist, the fact that it's their debut season, and that 'home' teams are always favoured.

Looking at the breakdown of wild cards and Pro Conti teams, I'm surprised that there aren't more Spanish Pro-Conti teams in existence (because they'd be guaranteed a wild card place in the Vuelta).

Giro d'Italia: Bardiani - CSF (Italy), CCC Sprandi Polkowice (Poland), Gazprom-RusVelo (Russia), Wilier Triestina (Italy)

Tour de France: Cofidis (France), Direct Energie (France), Fortuneo - Vital Concept (France), Wanty - Groupe Gobert (Belgium)

Vuelta a Espana: Aqua Blue Sport (Ireland), Caja Rural - Seguros RGA (Spain), Cofidis (France), Manzana Postobon (Colombia)

dastardly00

Bad news...

Fractured hip for Martyn Irvine after Baloise Belgium Tour crash

The former track world champion was making his fifth racing appearance of the season when he was involved in a crash on the stage into Knokke-Heist where he fell and suffered a hairline fracture of his right hip. Irvine was taken to University Hospital Ghent where the fracture was confirmed via examination and an x-ray.

Irvine had animated the day's early breakaway before suffering his injury. He initially tried to ride on through the pain but was forced to withdraw from the 2.HC race.

"I am very disappointed and I am sad to leave the race so early. The doctors have said to me that I should be recovered hopefully after five or six weeks of rest," Irvine said in a team statement.

"I just want to thank the team, the medical staff on the race, the staff of University Hospital Gent and the many people who have sent me messages."

Best of luck to him with his recovery. It would be great to see him make his Grand Tour debut in the Vuelta later on this year.

Thud

Yellow jersey for Denifl in Austria:

http://www.stickybottle.com/races-results/huge-milestone-aqua-blue-sport-first-yellow-jersey/

cunavalos

Thud wrote: »

Yellow jersey for Denifl in Austria:

http://www.stickybottle.com/races-results/huge-milestone-aqua-blue-sport-first-yellow-jersey/

They are really doing well for their first year and are actually beginning to push on. He has a healthy lead in the GC and i hope he can hold on.

In hindsight they have recruited well in riders that showed promise at WT level but for some reason lost a bit of form but Denfil and Warbasse have shown enough to suggest theWT level riders.

They are beginning to show that they have earned their Vuelta spot and i look forward to seeing how they perform there.

I was expecting eurosport to have highlights of this at least on the player , but sadly not

Keeks

Its live streaming here

http://radstars.at/details/live-7-juli-flyeralarm-praesentiert-den-glockner

Lopaz attacked on the Climb and put over 1:20 into Denifl who was forced to chase alone, but has now caught up on the decent.
If he keeps the lead will have earned it.

Thud

held on to yellow:

http://www.flashscore.com/cycling/tours/tour-of-austria/

Thud

Looking good to hold on today, on the finishing circuit now

http://www.radsport-news.com/live/live_180.htm

https://mobile.twitter.com/aquabluesport?lang=en

Update: 20th on the stage to seal the win!

Delighted for them !!!! Hopefully they have a stage win or two in their legs at Vuelta.

The team are competing at the tour de wallonie this week , they currently have Michel Kreder placed 10th after the opening stage yesterday at 23 seconds. Conor Dunne is there.

No coverage on eurosport until tomorrow where they will have highlights at 9:45 and live coverage during the day.

dastardly00

Final GC for Aqua Blue riders at Tour de Wallonie

CrowdedHouse

Eddie Dunbar signed

https://www.aquabluesport.com/press-kit-105/

highbury1913

Conor Dunne in the break in Burgos today.

highbury1913

highbury1913 wrote: »

Conor Dunne in the break in Burgos today.

Landa took the win , Connor took 3 points in the sprints overall.

Unrelated to Aqua Blue but great to see Alaphilippe back on the bike.

Bike Channel are showing this during the day and highlights.

Lads did well today, had their lead out organised for the sprint and Adam Blythe took second spot by a wheel length behind Trentin of Quick Step

Lads are in Thr Arctic Race of Norway this week, coverage on Eurosport.

Matthew Brammeier and Martyn Irvine are in the team. Just caught a look on the player there and to say the sights are spectacular would be massively understating it. What a place to get to ride a bike in :eek:

harringtonp

Deleted User wrote: »

Lads are in Thr Arctic Race of Norway this week, coverage on Eurosport.

Matthew Brammeier and Martyn Irvine are in the team. Just caught a look on the player there and to say the sights are spectacular would be massively understating it. What a place to get to ride a bike in :eek:

If there was a three day A2/A3 stage race up there it would be great wouldn't it. Probably even almost as good as the ones in Connemara

irishrover99

I'm seen a good few lads going around in Aqua Blue kits. I seen two heading towards the Yellow house on Saturday and a few up at the Stephen Roche GP a few weeks ago.
Do they have a B team as i can imaging the Pros would have been elsewhere or do people just like the kit.

Pudsy33

irishrover99 wrote: »

I'm seen a good few lads going around in Aqua Blue kits. I seen two heading towards the Yellow house on Saturday and a few up at the Stephen Roche GP a few weeks ago.
Do they have a B team as i can imaging the Pros would have been elsewhere or do people just like the kit.

They have an amateur team as far as I know. They predate the pro team

1bryan

irishrover99 wrote: »

I'm seen a good few lads going around in Aqua Blue kits. I seen two heading towards the Yellow house on Saturday and a few up at the Stephen Roche GP a few weeks ago.
Do they have a B team as i can imaging the Pros would have been elsewhere or do people just like the kit.

the Aqua Blue Academy.

dastardly00

New special jersey to celebrate wildcard invitation in La Vuelta

https://twitter.com/AquaBlueSport/status/895691392294330371

death1234567

dastardly00 wrote: »

New special jersey to celebrate wildcard invitation in La Vuelta

https://twitter.com/AquaBlueSport/status/895691392294330371

The original kit looks better than that white one IMO.

rtmie

Seems a strange approach. They are a new 'brand' at this level and they dilute the image as they enter their first GT?

1bryan

rtmie wrote: »

Seems a strange approach. They are a new 'brand' at this level and they dilute the image as they enter their first GT?

they're not really though. I get where you're coming from, but in the context of a grand tour the jerseys would be lost in a sea of black and dark blue/green jerseys. I'm sure this move is to make them stand out from the crowd.

Daroxtar

No sign of their Ivory Coast national flag on the collar?

rtmie

1bryan wrote: »

rtmie wrote: »

Seems a strange approach. They are a new 'brand' at this level and they dilute the image as they enter their first GT?

they're not really though. I get where you're coming from, but in the context of a grand tour the jerseys would be lost in a sea of black and dark blue/green jerseys. I'm sure this move is to make them stand out from the crowd.

Fair point but with Sky now in white, Trek, etc. may still be an issue. also waiting for the jokes about the Irish team called Aqua Blue but wearing  white jerseys!!!:)

1bryan

rtmie wrote: »

Fair point but with Sky now in white, Trek, etc. may still be an issue. also waiting for the jokes about the Irish team called Aqua Blue but wearing  white jerseys!!!:)

are Sky sticking with white for the vuelta? I thought that was only for the Tour?

dastardly00

1bryan wrote: »

are Sky sticking with white for the vuelta? I thought that was only for the Tour?

They've gone back to black for races since the TdF so I'm presuming the white jersey was only for that race

If I recall rightly they said on commentary during the tour you are allowed one jersey change a year, so likely not allowed seeing as they changed back to black now.