An Post Sean Kelly team set for GP d'Ouverture la Marsellaise opener

The An Post Sean Kelly team kicks off its 2012 season at the GP d’Ouverture la Marsellaise in France tommorow (Sunday) with the eight-man team comprising a rich blend of youth and experience. Our man Cillian Kelly previews the race.

The true beginning of the cycling season is a source of some debate among fans. Some go by the UCI World Tour Calendar and presume that the season is considered underway at the Tour Down Under in the second week of January. Many purists believe that the season doesn't truly begin until Paris-Nice well into March.

But a further candidate for the true beginning of the cycling season takes place tomorrow in France. The GP d'Ouverture la Marsellaise marks the first cycling race of the year in Europe.

It also signals the first race of the year for the An Post-Sean Kelly squad. Irish riders Sam Bennett and Sean Downey will be taking to the start-line as part of the eight-man team.

Downey, a former Under-23 national road race champion, will be racing his first event for the team having signed during the off-season.

Bennett, the current Under-23 national road race champion, is starting his second season on the An Post-Sean Kelly team and will be looking to improve once more as he attempts to shape himself into a rider for the classics.

The squad will be led once again by the veteran Niko Eeckhout. The Belgian hard man turned 41 over the winter, and having considered retirement towards the end of last year, has been convinced to ride for a further year. He will again be an invaluable asset to the younger riders like Downey and Bennett who will benefit from his vast experience.

The Lithuanian Gediminas Bagdonas will also be racing with the team in France tomorrow. The 26 year-old winner of last year's Rás was destined to join the Geox-TMC squad, a professional continental team containing reigning Vuelta a Espana champion, Juan José Cobo. Having failed to find a new sponsor for 2012, the team folded and Bagdonas was welcomed back to the An Post-Sean Kelly setup.

Along with Downey there will be two other riders making their first appearance for the An Post-Sean Kelly team, the Belgian Stijn Ennekens and young British hopeful Mark Christian.

The GP d'Ouverture la Marsellaise is a hilly 148.1km race with three categorised climbs on the route, the Col du Petit Galibier, the Col de l'Espigoulier and the Col des Bastides.

Whether this race is considered the true start of the racing season or not, it has certainly become the traditional season opener for the An Post-Sean Kelly team who will be participating in their fifth consecutive edition.

The best previous result in this race by an An Post-Sean Kelly rider was achieved by Eeckhout who managed to finish in 11th place two years ago in a race won by the Frenchman Jonathan Hivert.

Philip Deignan (United Healthcare) was the highest ever Irish finisher when he crossed the line in 22nd place back in 2005 during his first season as a professional with the AG2R-Prévoyance team.

As it is the first race of the season for most of the riders on the startlist, it's very difficult to tell who will be going well and in with a serious chance of victory. But the major French teams Cofidis, Europcar, AG2R and FDJ will all be eager to impress early in 2012 and will look to make an early mark on the season.

There is extra incentive for the French teams as the GP d'Ouverture la Marseillaise is also the opening race in the season long Coupe de France competition. It is organised in the style of the old UCI World Cup and consists of 15 one day races spread throughout France. Although many riders and teams from various countries race in the 15 events which make up the Coupe de France, the season long competition is open only to French riders or riders on French teams.

An Post Sean Kelly Team for GP d'Ouverture La Marseillaise

Nico Eeckhout (Belgium)

Sam Bennett (Ireland)
Pieter Ghyllebert (Belgium)

Gediminas Bagdonas (Lithuania)

Sean Downey (Ireland)

Mark McNally (Great Britain)

Stijn Ennekens (Belgium)

Mark Christian (Great Britain)

• Array