Jonny Bellis

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Did he sign for AN Post this year. Has he had any luck?

Yellow Peril

He went to AN Post this year and a check of the website shows only a couple of DNF's earlier in the year. I don't know if Kelly will keep him on next season that would be a big ask for a team when there are so many young and talented riders coming through.

It's tough to say being a Jonny Bellis fan but it may be time for him to come home or look to a cycling career off the bike. I'd like to think that there would be a positing for him in the BC set up he has been a high achiever both on track and road and perhaps he could help bring the young ones on.

squired

It seems like he is never going to get himself back to the level he needs to be at. With so little action this year one can only assume that his career is pretty much finished, which is very sad to see. I wonder if he will even want to be around cycling on a day-to-day basis if his career as a rider is finished?

LangerDan

Kelly had said earlier this year that the plan was to introduce Jonny back to racing gradually and it would be later in the season before Bellis would be back to a more normal racing programme. However, now that we are "later in the season", I don't know what has happened.

Much of the An Post team's racing is based in Belgium and the race reports sound as if the racing is very rough, in every sense of the word. Not sure its such a conducive environment for someone coming back from the type of injuries that Bellis had. (It may also be nothing to do with it).

It has been rumoured on-and-off than the squad will move to Pro Conti for 2013, which would make it even tougher to hold a slot.

Yellow Peril

He has been seen from time to time on the island doing a bit of training but other than that I guess he has been away on the continent.

I would have thought, AN Post commitments permitting, that he would have done some of the races back here at some point as most of the pro riders do from time to time but he hasn't entered anything.

Strangel;y enogh I was thinking about Jonny whilst watching the ToB this year and what a great performance he put in for Saxo as a stagiare a few years back.

ozzzyosborn206

i was thinking about him the other day and wondered what the chances were of him going to the island games in bermuda next year for the isle of man. Any idea on that Yellow Peril? Sounds as though Tim Kennaugh may struggle to hold onto his rapha contract too?

Yellow Peril

Unlikely. Unless there is a sudden upturn in form I can't see Jonny going. Perhaps it would have been better for JB to just come back to the Island and race domestically after the accident, perhaps staying with a pro team was too much to ask, who knows. Let's hope he confounds us all.

On current form likely contenders for the IOM team would be Mark Christian (AN Post commitments allowing) Chris Whorral who has just come back from the continent, Tom Black, Chris Nicholson, Graham Hatcher, Darren Bell and the evergreen Andrew Roche who taught everyone a bit of a lesson in crit racing in the Port St Mary nocturne last Saturday. Also let's not forget Christian Varley who is away racing in the States. He went to the Academy with Cav some years ago and was probably the better all-round rider. Unfortunately his head fell off and he went off the rails. He started riding again a couple of years ago and very quickly re-established himself.

As for Tim Kennaugh, he is suffering from some sort of Thyroid problem which is a shame as many say he has more natural talent than little Pete. Tim also seems to struggle mentally with the discipline of racing and had to come back from Italy a year or so ago. It would be nice to see him really get it together.

ozzzyosborn206

ah ok, Yeah Christian race last year in Isle of Wight, Rochey has his TT title to defend! incredible that he has been unbeaten in that for so long however fingers crossed we have a rider who can now beat him, was only 20 or so seconds off him last year and is much stronger now. Do you know when they are announcing the squad?

Yellow Peril

ozzzyosborn206 wrote:

ah ok, Yeah Christian race last year in Isle of Wight, Rochey has his TT title to defend! incredible that he has been unbeaten in that for so long however fingers crossed we have a rider who can now beat him, was only 20 or so seconds off him last year and is much stronger now. Do you know when they are announcing the squad?[/quote]

I would expect Darren Bell to be the main IOM threat in the TT. He is a big engine and has knocked out some very good times this year. Rochey has been concentrating on his cycle training business this season but with the Island Games next year and the Commonwealth games the year after he may give it a real go. I'll make enquiries about the squad announcement.