Aqua Blue Sport
Aqua Blue Sport was an Irish UCI Professional Continental cycling team founded in January 2017 which folded at the end of the 2018 season.[3][4]
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| Team information | |
|---|---|
| UCI code | ABS |
| Registered | Ireland |
| Founded | 2017 |
| Disbanded | 2019 - went broke |
| Discipline(s) | Road |
| Status | UCI Professional Continental |
| Bicycles | Ridley (2017)[1] 3T (2018)[2] |
| Website | Team home page |
| Key personnel | |
| General manager | Stephen Moore |
| Team manager(s) |
|
| Team name history | |
2017–2018 | Aqua Blue Sport |
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 crossed the finish line first, ahead of Alberto Contador at the summit finish of Los Machucos[8], however his win was later striped after he confessed to blood doping[9]. In its first year, the team won its first individual stage, its first national champion, its first overall at a stage race, and its first stage at a Grand Tour (although the latter two were latter striped as a result of Denifl's doping admission[10]).
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.[11] and ceased racing immediately.
Team roster
- As of 5 January 2018.[12]
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Major wins
- 2017
- Stage 4 Tour de Suisse, Larry Warbasse
Stage 17 Vuelta a España, Stefan Denifl
- 2018
- Stage 1 Herald Sun Tour, Lasse Norman Hansen
- Elfstedenronde, Adam Blythe
- Stage 1 Danmark Rundt, Lasse Norman Hansen
National champions
- 2017
- 2018
References
- "Aqua Blue Sport to ride Ridley bikes in 2017 - Gallery". cyclingnews.com. 13 December 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
- 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.
- "Aqua Blue Sport 2017 season". ProCyclingStats. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
- "Nordhaug, Brammeier, Irvine, Dunne first riders named for Aqua Blue Sport - Cyclingnews.com".
- "'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.
- www.aquabluesport.com
- "The Team Aqua Blue". wayback machine. Archived from the original on 29 April 2018. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
- http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/rick-delaney-has-left-the-group-the-story-behind-the-rise-and-fall-of-aqua-blue/
- "2018 rider roster and first races confirmed". Wayback machine. Aqua Blue Sport Limited. 1 January 2018. Archived from the original on 16 July 2018. Retrieved 28 March 2019.