Aqua Blue Sport

Aqua Blue Sport
Team information
UCI code ABS
Registered Ireland
Founded 2017
Disbanded 2019 - Lack of invitations to races
Discipline Road
Status UCI Professional Continental
Bicycles Ridley (2017)[1]
3T (2018)[2]
Website [www.aquabluesport.com Team home page]
Key personnel
General manager Stephen Moore
Team manager(s)
Team name history
2017–2019 Aqua Blue Sport

Aqua Blue Sport is an Irish UCI Professional Continental cycling team founded in January 2017.[3][4]

History

The team was set up by businessman Rick Delaney, assuring funding for at least four seasons with two-year rolling contracts offered to the riders.[4] The project is based on a self-sustaining finance model, with revenue generated from an online cycling marketplace www.aquabluesport.com being used to fund the professional team.[5]

Aqua Blue Sport featured a 16-rider roster[6] for 2017. Having gained considerable success in the early months of its maiden season, Aqua Blue Sport was invited to the 2017 Vuelta a España.[7] Despite losing their team bus to an arson attack, the team continued at the Vuelta. On stage 17 of their first Grand Tour, Stefan Denifl earned the first Grand Tour stage win in the team's history, winning solo at the summit finish of Los Machucos.[8] In its first year, the team won its first individual stage, its first overall at a stage race, its first national champion, and its first stage at a Grand Tour.

On August 27, 2018, the team announced that it would not be racing in 2019, citing difficulties in obtaining race invitations from race organizers and a failed merger with the Vérandas Willems–Crelan team.[9]

Team roster

As of 5 January 2018.[10]
Rider Date of birth
 Shane Archbold (NZL) (1989-02-02) 2 February 1989
 Adam Blythe (GBR) (1989-10-01) 1 October 1989
 Matt Brammeier (IRL) (1985-06-07) 7 June 1985
 Mark Christian (GBR) (1990-11-20) 20 November 1990
 Stefan Denifl (AUT) (1987-09-22) 22 September 1987
 Eddie Dunbar (IRL) (1996-09-01) 1 September 1996
 Conor Dunne (IRL) (1992-01-22) 22 January 1992
 Andrew Fenn (GBR) (1990-07-01) 1 July 1990
Rider Date of birth
 Aaron Gate (NZL) (1990-11-26) 26 November 1990
 Lasse Norman Hansen (DNK) (1992-02-11) 11 February 1992
 Peter Koning (NED) (1990-12-03) 3 December 1990
 Michel Kreder (NED) (1987-08-15) 15 August 1987
 Daniel Pearson (GBR) (1994-02-26) 26 February 1994
 Casper Pedersen (DEN) (1996-03-15) 15 March 1996
 Larry Warbasse (USA) (1990-06-28) 28 June 1990
 Calvin Watson (AUS) (1993-01-06) 6 January 1993

Major wins

2017
Stage 4 Tour de Suisse, Larry Warbasse
 United States Road Race Championships, Larry Warbasse
Overall Tour of Austria, Stefan Denifl
Stage 17 Vuelta a España 2017, Stefan Denifl
2018
Stage 1 Herald Sun Tour, Lasse Norman Hansen
Elfstedenronde, Adam Blythe
 Ireland Road Race Championships, Conor Dunne
Stage 1 Danmark Rundt, Lasse Norman Hansen

National champions

2017
American Road Race, Larry Warbasse
2018
Irish Road Race, Conor Dunne

References

  1. ↑ "Aqua Blue Sport to ride Ridley bikes in 2017 - Gallery". cyclingnews.com. 13 December 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  2. ↑ Benson, Daniel; Fletcher, Patrick (30 August 2018). "Rick Delaney has left the group: The story behind the rise and fall of Aqua Blue". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  3. ↑ "Aqua Blue Sport 2017 season". ProCyclingStats. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
  4. 1 2 "Nordhaug, Brammeier, Irvine, Dunne first riders named for Aqua Blue Sport - Cyclingnews.com".
  5. ↑ "'Amazon for bikes' site to help new Aqua Blue squad become self-sustained in three years". cyclingweekly.co.uk. 10 October 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  6. ↑ www.aquabluesport.com
  7. ↑ "About Us". www.aquabluesport.com. Retrieved 2017-08-25.
  8. ↑
  9. ↑ http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/rick-delaney-has-left-the-group-the-story-behind-the-rise-and-fall-of-aqua-blue/
  10. ↑ "2018 rider roster and first races confirmed". Aqua Blue Sport. Aqua Blue Sport Limited. 1 January 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2018.


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