An Post–Chain Reaction

An Post–Chain Reaction
Team information
UCI code SKT
Registered Merchtem, Flanders, Belgium
Founded 2006 (2006)
Discipline Road
Status UCI Continental
Bicycles Vitus
Website Team home page
Key personnel
General manager Kurt Bogaerts
Team manager(s) Niko Eeckhout[1]
Team name history
2006
2007
2008–2009
2010–2012
2013–
Sean Kelly ACLVB–M Donnelly
Murphy & Gunn–Newlyn–M Donnelly–Sean Kelly
An Post–M Donnelly–Grant Thornton–Sean Kelly
An Post–Sean Kelly
An Post–Chain Reaction

Jersey

An Post–Chain Reaction (UCI Team Code: SKT) is a UCI continental professional cycling team registered in the Republic of Ireland, based at the Sean Kelly Academy in Merchtem, Flanders. The team participates on the UCI Europe Tour. The squad is managed by Kurt Bogaerts and Sean Kelly with directeur sportif Andy Vanhoudt.

History

The team began in 2006 with the name Sean Kelly ACLVB–M Donnelly as the first Irish professional cycling team. Shortly after its launch another Irish continental team was launched, Murphy & Gunn–Newlyn. For the 2007 season, these two teams merged to form the Murphy & Gunn–Newlyn–M Donnelly–Sean Kelly squad.[2][3] The team achieved several good results including second overall in the Rás Tailteann with Paídi O'Brien.[4] At the end of 2007, it was announced that An Post would replace Murphy & Gunn as main sponsor while Grant Thornton replacing the Newlyn group as a co-sponsor.[5] For the 2008 season, the team became more international with four Belgians, two Britons, one Swede and one German joining the six Irish riders.[6] The team took its biggest win when Stephen Gallagher won the general classification of the Rás Tailteann.[7] It has also taken overall victories in Vuelta a Extremadura (Daniel Lloyd), Tour des Pyrénées (Dan Fleeman), and Ronde de l'Oise (Steven Van Vooren).

The team began as an Irish-registered team, becoming Belgian-registered between 2010 and 2013, primarily to gain access to races in Belgium. The team became Irish-registered again in 2014.[8]

UCI Europe Tour

The SKT team was UCI ranked 31st out of 125 teams at the end of the 2009 UCI Europe Tour season with 481 points. The team was ranked 46th out of 110 teams on the UCI Europe Tour rankings for 2010 with 314 points. It improved ranking to 21st out of 114 teams in 2011 with 648 points, with the team's highest points scorers being Mark McNally with 125 and Andrew Fenn, who scored 122. The team had their best ever season in 2012, finishing 16th out of 125 teams in the final rankings on 879 points. Gediminas Bagdonas was the team's highest points scorer with 346 points, a tally that was good enough to put him in tenth place in the individual standings. Niko Eeckhout contributed 187 points to the tally, while Kenneth Vanbilsen scored 131. In 2013 the team finished 28th overall with a total of 341 points.

Team roster

As of May 14, 2015.
Rider Date of birth
 Sean Downey (IRL) (1990-07-10) 10 July 1990
 Conor Dunne (IRL) (1992-01-22) 22 January 1992
 Joshua Edmondson (GBR) (1992-07-06) 6 July 1992
 Aaron Gate (NZL) (1990-11-26) 26 November 1990
 Aidis Kruopis (LTU) (1986-10-26) 26 October 1986
 Alexander Maes (BEL) (1993-06-20) 20 June 1993
 Eoin McCarthy (IRL) (1993-09-21) 21 September 1993
Rider Date of birth
 Xandro Meurisse (BEL) (1991-01-31) 31 January 1991
 Ryan Mullen (IRL) (1994-08-07) 7 August 1994
 Paulius Šiškevičius (LTU) (1993-09-07) 7 September 1993
 Alistair Slater (GBR) (1993-02-11) 11 February 1993
 Jordan Stannus (AUS) (1996-05-16) 16 May 1996
 Jens Vandenbogaerde (BEL) (1992-01-06) 6 January 1992
 Jack Wilson (IRL) (1993-08-10) 10 August 1993

Major results

2008
1st Overall Vuelta a Extremadura, Daniel Lloyd
1st Stage 1, Team Time Trial
1st Overall FBD Insurance Ras, Stephen Gallagher
1st Overall Tour des Pyrénées, Dan Fleeman
2009
1st Stages 4 & 5 Vuelta a Extremadura, Niko Eeckhout
1st Stage 1 FBD Insurance Ras, Niko Eeckhout
1st Overall Ronde de l'Oise, Steven Van Vooren
1st Grote Prijs Stad Zottegem, Niko Eeckhout
1st Memorial Rik Van Steenbergen, Niko Eeckhout
2010
1st  Ireland Irish Road Race Championship, Matt Brammeier
1st Stage 5 Étoile de Bessèges, Niko Eeckhout
1st Stage 3 Ronde de l'Oise, Niko Eeckhout
1st Stage 3 FBD Insurance Ras, David O'Loughlin
1st Stage 7 FBD Insurance Ras, Mark Cassidy
2011
1st  Lithuania Time Trial Championships, Gediminas Bagdonas
1st Stage 2 Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen, Niko Eeckhout
1st Stage 7 Tour de Bretagne, Andrew Fenn
1st Overall An Post Rás, Gediminas Bagdonas
1st Stages 2 & 4, Gediminas Bagdonas
1st Memorial Philippe Van Coningsloo, Andrew Fenn
1st Overall Ronde de l'Oise, Gediminas Bagdonas
1st Stage 2, Gediminas Bagdonas
1st GP Stad Geel, Sam Bennett
1st Overall Mi-Août en Bretagne, Mark McNally
1st Stage 7 Tour of Britain, Gediminas Bagdonas
2012
1st  Lithuania Road Race Championships, Gediminas Bagdonas
1st Kattekoers, Roy Jans
1st Ronde van Noord-Holland, Gediminas Bagdonas
1st Omloop der Kempen, Niko Eeckhout
1st Stages 3 & 8 An Post Rás, Gediminas Bagdonas
1st Memorial Philippe Van Coningsloo, Gediminas Bagdonas
1st Schaal Sels-Merksem, Niko Eeckhout
2013
1st Stage 5 Tour of Britain, Sam Bennett
1st Stage 2 An Post Rás, Shane Archbold
1st Stages 3 & 8 An Post Rás, Sam Bennett
1st Stage 2 Ronde de l'Oise, Glenn O'Shea
1st  Ireland U23 Road Race Championship, Jack Wilson
2014
1st Stage 1 An Post Rás, Robert-Jon McCarthy
1st  Ireland Road Race Championships, Ryan Mullen
2015
1st Stage 3 Tour d'Azerbaïdjan, Josh Edmondson
1st Stages 2 & 5 An Post Rás, Aaron Gate
1st Stages 4 & 8 An Post Rás, Aidis Kruopis
1st Overall Ronde de l'Oise, Josh Edmondson
1st Stage 4, Josh Edmondson
1st  Ireland Time Trial Championships, Ryan Mullen
1st  Lithuania Road Race Championships, Aidis Kruopis
1st Antwerpse Havenpijl, Aidis Kruopis

National champions

2010
Ireland Road Race Matt Brammeier
2011
Lithuania Time Trial Gediminas Bagdonas
2012
Lithuania Road Race Gediminas Bagdonas
2013
Ireland U23 Road Race Jack Wilson
2014
Ireland Road Race Ryan Mullen
2015
Ireland Time Trial Ryan Mullen
Lithuania Road Race Aidis Kruopis

References

  1. Stoes, Shane (7 December 2013). "Eeckhout takes up coaching and directeur sportif role with An Post Chainreaction Sean Kelly team". velonation.com. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  2. "2007 team database. Note at bottom stating merger, Cyclingnews.com". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 26 April 2008.
  3. "New look Irish continental team launched in Dublin". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 25 May 2008.
  4. "Kenneally Takes Final Stage, Martin Wins Overall". FBD Insurance Ras.com. Retrieved 25 May 2008.
  5. "An Post to sponsor Sean Kelly team". RTE.ie. 6 December 2007. Retrieved 25 May 2008.
  6. "Sean Kelly pushes harder for 2008". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 25 May 2008.
  7. "Stage victory for O'Loughlin, Gallagher takes An Post's greatest win". Irish Cycling. Archived from the original on 30 May 2008. Retrieved 26 May 2008.
  8. "An Post Chainreaction to register as Irish; targets pro-continental status and more sponsors". stickybottle.com. Retrieved 29 December. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)

External links

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