CYCLING

IRISH ROAD race champion Matt Brammeier is just two days away from the official start of his contract with the HTC Highroad team, and he reports that he’s very happy with his impressions of the squad.

In October the 25-year-old signed a deal with the team which has clocked up the most professional victories of the past three years, netting 15 stage wins in the Tour de France via the sprinting speed of Mark Cavendish, and netting numerous other big results.

Brammeier has known Cavendish for several years and, while he got the contract on his own merits, being acquainted with the team’s biggest rider has helped him in other ways.

“The team atmosphere was great,” he said of the training camp held before Christmas in California.

“I was a bit nervous at first, going into the team as one of the new guys. But after a couple of days, I think I fitted in really well. I got on really well with all the lads and settled in quite nicely.

“It helped quite a lot to know Cavendish already; I’d say the new guys were pretty nervous to meet him, but I know him pretty well . . . I certainly wasn’t too nervous about seeing him.”

Racing for the past two years with the Irish-sponsored An Post Grant Thornton M Donnelly Seán Kelly team, Brammeier highlighted his ability in a clear way earlier this year when he beat defending champion Nicolas Roche to win the Irish road race championships. Roche started his second Tour de France one week later and performed very strongly, netting 15th overall.

Brammeier has been told his racing programme for the first four months of the season, and while he will most often be working for others, he has a clear opportunity to show his strength by riding solidly in those.

“I’ll go to Majorca on the 16th of January for 10 days’ training, then I will do the Tour of Qatar, Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, Le Samyn, three days of West Flanders, Nokere-Koerse and the Vuelta a Catalunya,” he said. “After that, the three days of De Panne, Scheldeprijs, Brabantse Pijl, Amstel Gold and Liege-Bastogne-Liege.

“That’s what we have got planned for now. I think I am going to do the race in Philadelphia as well. Some of that will probably change . . . I am down as a reserve for Tirreno-Adriatico, Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders. We will see how I go in the first few races. Obviously Cavendish is going to be at Qatar, so we will see how I fit into his little set-up.”

Also confirmed for Qatar (plus the subsequent Tour of Oman) is Brammeier’s old An Post team. It has been given a wildcard entry into the Gulf races, which will see some of the world’s top teams competing.

Gaining access is a big show of faith from race organisers ASO, who are best known for running the Tour de France, and illustrates how the team is progressing.

Fixtures

Sunday: Bray novelty race, sign on from 10am; Blarney Memorial Sportive, starts Blarney at 10am. All levels welcome.