Latest news with #Q365ProCycling
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
Eddie Dunbar confirms move to Q36.5 Pro Cycling team from Jayco-AlUla
Ireland's Eddie Dunbar is to join the Q36.5 Pro Cycling team on a two-year contract. The Banteer cyclist departs Jayco-AlUla after three years and is set to join the Swiss team's ranks this winter. Despite finishing seventh overall in the 2023 Giro d'Italia and winning two stages in last year's Vuelta a España , Dunbarr acknowledged he is yet to fully deliver on his talent. 'Grand Tours suit me well because I always get better towards the end. I absorb the workload of a three-week race well,' the 28-year-old said on Monday, confirming the move. READ MORE 'There have been glimpses of what I can do but due to crashes and illness I haven't reached my full potential there yet. That's something for the next two years.' Kurt Bogaerts is head of performance at Q36.5 and has strong experience of working with Irish riders. He previously ran the Sean Kelly racing team and has managed Irish national sides. Bogaerts also worked with Dunbar at Ineos Grenadiers, and believes he can help get the best out of the Cork man. One area they will seek to improve is Dunbar's placement skills in order to avoid the types of crashes which have affected him in the past. While bad luck has been a factor in some of his falls, Bogaerts said Dunbar has acknowledged he must also work on his bike handling. 'If you can have healthy conversation, and we have that already, we know we need to work on that,' said Bogaerts. 'We are both on the same page. I think that's already a big step in the right direction that we both agree that we need to improve this. But we also don't need to make it bigger than it is.' Dunbar will be racing alongside the Olympic mountain bike champion Tom Pidcock, who came on board as team leader earlier this year. Dunbar competed with Pidcock during their respective stints at Ineos, with Bogaerts noting they get on well. The Belgian believes Dunbar will provide important support for Pidcock, but added that his strength means he will also be a leader in his own right. The team may take a dual leader approach in some races, including the Tour de France . But Pidcock's well-acknowledged handling skills may also be an asset as the opportunity to study the Briton's descending technique could serve Dunbar. 'There are a few things we can do to help him achieve his potential,' Bogaerts said. 'We, as a performance team, can definitely support him well, in the coaching and also other areas. There are a lot of topics now around heat and altitude training. I think we have the know how to really ensure he is doing all the efforts to get more out of that.' Dunbar will next line out in the Vuelta a España, which starts on Saturday.
Irish Times
29-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Rory Townsend, Mia Griffin best in aggressive Irish road race championships
Three years after he first won the title, Rory Townsend recouped past glories when he took the men's national road race championships in Yellow Furze in Meath on Sunday. The 29-year-old Q36.5 Pro Cycling professional was best in the sprint to the line, beating Jamie Meehan (AVC Aix Provence Dole). Patrick Casey (Israel Premier Tech Academy) and defending champion Darren Rafferty (EF Education-EasyPost) were close by, finishing three and six seconds back respectively. 'It sounds crazy but this just means so much,' Townsend said. 'It's the biggest thing for me. It means everything. A national championship is something you always want to win as a kid, and it makes you feel like a kid when you come back here.' The day was full of aggressive racing, with Conn McDunphy (Team Skyline), Rafferty and his brother Adam (Hagens Berman Jayco) among the most active. The leading quartet were clear heading on to the final lap, with Townsend using his greater experience and sprinting power to triumph. READ MORE Meehan, who finished second overall in the Rás Tailteann in May, took the under-23 title. 'I knew if I could have went one more time, one more move, that that'd be the move,' the AVC Aix Provence Dole rider said. 'But I just didn't have it. I'm disappointed to lose out to Townsend in the sprint but still delighted to take home the U23 title.' Saturday's elite and under 23 women's road race featured a very aggressive performance from Lucy Benezét Minns (Lotto Ladies). The talented 19 year old, who took a superb fourth in the world championship junior time trial two years ago, attacked on the final lap and opened a gap of 17 seconds. However she was reeled in with two kilometres to go, with Mia Griffin (Roland) beating Caoimhe O'Brien (Cynicsa Cycling), Marine Lenehan (Dan Morrissey Pissei Cycling Team) and five others to the line. 'I've dreamed of winning a national championship for so long, it honestly just hasn't set in yet,' Griffin said afterwards. 'I know when Lucy gets a good lead she can really suffer and push through, so I was determined to make sure we worked together in the group to catch her.' Emma Jeffers (Liv AlUla Jayco) took fourth and the under 23 award. Aliyah Rafferty (Tofauti Everyone Active Majaco) won the junior women's road race on Saturday, while Conor Murphy shrugged off mechanical issues to take the junior men's title on Sunday. National road race championships, Meath Elite and under 23 men: 1 Rory Townsend (Q36.5 Procycling), 2 J Meehan (AVC Aix Provence Dole) at 1 sec, 3 P Casey (Israel Premier Tech Academy) at 3, 4 D Rafferty (EF Education Easypost) at 6, 5 S Dunwoody (Bahrain Victorious Development Team) at 29, 6 F Crockett (VolkerWessels Cycling Team), 7 G O'Neill (Athlete Nutrition Coach HD), 8 O Doogan (Team Caldwell Cycles), 9 C McDunphy (Team Skyline), 10 L O'Brien (Lidl-Trek Future Racing) at 32 Under 23: 1, Meehan, 2, Casey, 3, Dunwoody Elite and under 23 women (Saturday): 1 Mia Griffin (Roland) 3 hours 11'06, 2 C O'Brien (Cynicsa Cycling), 3 M Lenehan (Dan Morrissey Pissei Cycling Team), 4 E Jeffers (Liv Alula Jayco), 5 A O'Brien (DAS – Hutchinson), 6 F Mangan (Winspace Orange Seal), 7 A Conway (Westport Covey Wheelers Cycling Club), 8 L Kelly (Spin The Bean Power By Coffee) all same time, 9 A Doherty (Dan Morrissey Pissei Cycling Team) at 5 secs, 10 L Benezet Minns (Lotto Ladies) at 12 secs Under 23: 1, Jeffers, 2, A. O'Brien, 3, Conway Junior women's road race (Saturday): 1 Aliyah Rafferty (Tofauti Everyone Active Majaco) 1 hour 36'04, 2 G Lawless (Dawson Racing) at 2'41, 3 A O'Donovan (Dungarvan CC), 4 E Tandy (Tofauti Everyone Active Majaco) at 6'56, 5 F Dolan (TC Racing) same Junior men's road race (Sunday): 1 Conor Murphy (Team Caldwell Cycles) 2 hours 44'42, 2 R Condon (Zappi Racing Team) at 1'22, 3 D Byrne (Asvillemur Cyclisme) at 2'06, 4 M Walls (Lucan Cycling Road Club), 5 J Armstrong (VC Glendale) at 2'42
The Independent
14-05-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Giro d'Italia leader Mads Pedersen sprints to victory on stage five
Race leader Mads Pedersen claimed another victory after a photo finish on stage five of the Giro d'Italia in Matera. Lidl-Trek rider Pedersen took his third stage win of this year's race after a late charge over the closing kilometre to edge out Edoardo Zambanini, with Britain's Tom Pidcock given third place for Q36.5 Pro Cycling. The 151km stage, which started from Ceglie Messapica, had seen a three-man breakaway from Giosue Epis, Davide Bais and Lorenzo Milesi. The peloton, though, slowly pulled them back in, reducing the gap on Bais and Milesi down to around 35 seconds heading into the final 20km. Pedersen appeared to be struggling to hold the pace, but after being helped on by team-mate Mathias Vacek, the Dane suddenly found the needed sprint on the uphill finish to hit the front and kept his position to claim another stage victory. In the general classification standings, Danish rider Pedersen now has a 17-second lead over race favourite Primoz Roglic (Red Bull -Bora-Hansgrohe) with Vacek in third. Stage six runs from Potenza to Naples over a 227km route, the longest of the Giro 2025, which includes 2,500 metres of climbing.
