Strong An Post team confirmed for Handzame Classic
It will be a busy week for the An Post Sean Kelly Chain Reaction team with two tough races ahead. The Handzame Classic (1.1) this Friday 17th March and the six day Tour de Normandie (2.2) starting on Monday 20th March. Dublin rider, Sean McKenna will line out for both tests with fellow Irishman Matthew Teggart joining him on the Normandie tour. Irish compatriot, Conor Hennebry will join McKenna for the Handzame Classic.
This St. Patrick’s Day, McKenna and Hennebry will be part of a nine man strong team which will include Jonas Bokeloh (GER), Przemslam Kasperkiewicz (POL), Bas Tietema (NED), Sean MacKinnon (CAN), Massimo Vanderaerden (BEL) and Jacob Scott (GBR). The race will be aired live on EuroSport 2 and is due to be an exciting spectacle. Team Manager Kurt Bogaerts sees tactics coming into play early:
“This is a typical Flemish race. We must be aggressive from the start and have someone representing in the breakaway to be really competitive.”
Two days after the Flemish classic, McKenna and Teggart will join An Post Chain Reaction teammates Jonas Bokeloh (GER), Przemslam Kasperkiewicz (POL), Mark Stewart (GBR) and Bas Tietema (NED) for the Tour de Normandie. This will be the 37th edition of the Tour, which takes the riders through the northern French region. The race start is in Bourg-Achard on Monday 20th March, finishing in Caen six days later, on Saturday 26th March.
Initially designed for amateurs, the race turned professional in 1996 and welcomes strong teams from throughout Europe. An Post Sean Kelly Chain Reaction team is one of 15 Continental Teams competing in the six-day event which will cover seven stages.
The 37th edition of the French race will include a plethora of roads over 1,000km including winding, long false flat and coastal. The feature of stage one will see the peloton ride over the picturesque white cliffs of Étretat. The range of roads will be a test of stamina and looks set to play to a range of strengths.
Team Manager Kurt Bogaerts believes the race will suit An Post Chain Reaction riders:
“The team selected for Normandie are very capable of performing at this level. It is a nice race but extremely rolling terrain. We have experienced some poor weather here in the past, so hopefully it will stay dry this year. It should really fit with the type of riders we have on the team.”
The team is progressing in the early season, showing off aggressive tactics and all-rounder moves in last weekend’s Paris-Troyes race. The eight man strong team of riders rolled in comfortably within the front group.
An Post Sean Kelly Chain Reaction Team Handzame (1.1), Friday 17th March:
Massimo Vanderaerden (BEL)
Bas Tietema (NED)
Jonas Bokeloh (GER)
Jacob Scott (GBR)
Sean McKenna (IRL)
Matthew Teggart (IRL)
Premislav Kasperkiewicz (POL)
Sean MacKinnon (CAN)
Premislav Kasperkiewicz (POL)
Conor Hennebry (IRL)
Sean MacKinnon (CAN)
An Post Sean Kelly Chain Reaction Team for Tour de Normandie (2.2), Monday 20th – Saturday 26th March 2017:
Matthew Teggart (IRL)
Daniel Stewart (IRL)
Premislav Kasperkiewicz (POL)
Jacob Scott (GBR)
Bas Tietema (NED)
Sean McKenna (IRL)
Conor Hennebry (IRL)
