An Post–Chain Reaction
| Team information | ||
|---|---|---|
| UCI code | SKT | |
| Registered | Merchtem, Flanders, Belgium | |
| Founded | 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 | |
| ||
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.
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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
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ "2007 team database. Note at bottom stating merger, Cyclingnews.com". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 26 April 2008.
- ↑ "New look Irish continental team launched in Dublin". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 25 May 2008.
- ↑ "Kenneally Takes Final Stage, Martin Wins Overall". FBD Insurance Ras.com. Retrieved 25 May 2008.
- ↑ "An Post to sponsor Sean Kelly team". RTE.ie. 6 December 2007. Retrieved 25 May 2008.
- ↑ "Sean Kelly pushes harder for 2008". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 25 May 2008.
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ "An Post Chainreaction to register as Irish; targets pro-continental status and more sponsors". stickybottle.com. Retrieved 29 December. Check date values in:
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External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to An Post-Sean Kelly. |