2017 will be a significant and exciting year for the Aqua Blue Sport cycling team, as this marks the inaugural season for the Irish team.
The team's title sponsor, Aqua Blue Sport, is an online marketplace for cycling products based in Ireland, with the team being formed and funded by Irish businessman Rick Delaney.
The Aqua Blue Sport team are outfitted by Belgian sportswear company Vermarc, and ride in sleek deep blue kits with a golden shamrock and "A" branding of the Aqua Blue Sport company. The team rides bikes designed by Belgian bicycle manufacturer Ridley, which are equipped with Shimano components.
Aqua Blue Sport are a UCI Professional Continental team, one step below the World Tour, and currently sit in a solid 21st place in the UCI European Tour standings with 875 UCI points.
The young Danish rider Lasse Norman Hansen has provided a string of strong results for the first-year team, and will look to continue that in the second half of the season. Hansen had already proven his prowess on the track after winning a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics in the Men's Omnium, and has already become an asset to the Aqua Blue Sport squad. At the Danish National Championships Hansen put in strong efforts in both the Road Race Championship and Time Trial Championships, finishing 6th in the Time Trial and 7th in the Road Race. Hansen also finished 3rd at Dwars door West-Vlaanderen in March, before finishing 11th overall the the Baloise Belgium Tour and taking home the polka dot jersey as King of the Mountains at the Tour de Suisse.
Larry Warbasse has also been an important rider for the Aqua Blue Sport team in their inaugural season, capturing notable victories in 2017. After solid early season showings, finishing 32nd at the Herald Sun Tour, 13th at the Tour de Yorkshire, and 8th at the Tour of Norway, Warbasse had a June to write home about. Warbasse captured an emphatic victory on Stage 4 of the Tour de Suisse in Villars-sur-Ollon, and the next weekend returned to the United States to win the U.S. National Road Race Championship, while also taking 5th at the Individual Time Trial Championship.
Stefan Denifl is another rider for the Aqua Blue Sport squad who has put up strong results in 2017. After finishing 7th at the Austrian National Road Race Championship in June, Denifl followed the performance up with an even more impressive showing at the Tour of Austria (Osterreich Rundfahrt). The Austrian rider showed up to race in his home country, and won the overall title at the Tour of Austria after leading the race for the final three stage. In addition, Denifl was a central general classification rider for the Aqua Blue Sport team in the early season stage races at the Dubai Tour and Tour of Oman.
Aqua Blue Sport will be competing at the VOO-Tour de Wallonie before taking part in their first Grand Tour as a team in August at the 72nd Vuelta a Espana.
The complete list of riders for the 2017 Aqua Blue Sport team includes:
Riders
| BLYTHE Adam | 01.10.1989 | GBR | |
| BRAMMEIER Matthew | 07.06.1985 | IRL | |
| CHRISTIAN Mark | 20.11.1990 | GBR | |
| DENIFL Stefan | 20.09.1987 | AUT | |
| FENN Andrew | 01.07.1990 | GBR | |
| GATE Aaron | 26.11.1990 | NZL | |
| HANSEN Lasse Norman | 11.02.1992 | DEN | |
| HOWARD Leigh | 18.10.1989 | AUS | |
| IRVINE Martyn | 06.06.1985 | IRL | |
| KONING Peter | 03.12.1990 | NED | |
| KREDER Michel | 15.08.1987 | NED | |
| NORDHAUG Lars Petter | 14.05.1984 | NOR | |
| WARBASSE Lawrence | 27.06.1990 | USA | |
| WATSON Calvin | 06.01.1993 | AUS |
Neo-Pros
| DUNNE Conor | 22.01.1992 | IRL | |
| PEARSON Daniel | 26.02.1994 | GBR |
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