Aqua Blue Sport was an Irish

UCI Professional Continental The UCI Continental Circuits are a series of road bicycle racing competitions which were introduced in 2005 by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) to expand cycling around the world. The five circuits (representing the continents of Africa, the ...

cycling team A cycling team is a group of cycle sport, cyclists who join a team or are acquired and train together to compete in bicycle racing, bicycle races whether amateur or professional – and the supporting personnel. Cycling teams are most important i ...

founded in January 2017 which folded at the end of the 2018 season.

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. The project was based on a self-sustaining finance model, with revenue generated from an online cycling marketplac
www.aquabluesport.com
being used to fund the professional team. Aqua Blue Sport featured a 16-rider roster 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 The 2017 Vuelta a España was a three-week Grand Tour cycling stage race that took place in Spain between 19 August and 10 September 2017. The race was the 72nd edition of the Vuelta a España and the final Grand Tour of the 2017 cycling season. ...

. 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 Stefan Denifl (born 22 September 1987) is an Austrian former professional cyclist, who rode professionally between 2006 and 2018 for seven different professional teams. In 2019, Denifl confessed to doping during a five-year period in his career, ...

crossed the finish line first, ahead of

Alberto Contador Alberto Contador Velasco (; born 6 December 1982) is a Spanish former professional cyclist. He is one of the most successful riders of his era, winning the Tour de France twice ( 2007, 2009), the Giro d'Italia twice (2008, 2015), and the Vue ...

at the summit finish of Los Machucos, however his win was later striped after he confessed to blood doping. 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). 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. and ceased racing immediately.

Team roster

Major wins

;2017 :Stage 4

Tour de Suisse The Tour de Suisse ( en, Tour of Switzerland) is an annual road cycling stage race. Raced over eight days, the event covers two weekends in June, and along with the Critérium du Dauphiné, it is considered a proving ground for the Tour de France ...

, Larry Warbasse : Road Race Championships, Larry Warbasse : Overall
Tour of Austria The Tour of Austria (german: Internationale Österreich Rundfahrt) is a stage cycling race held in Austria. From 1949 to 1995 it was a race for amateur cyclists, turning into a professional event in 1996. In 2005 and 2006 it was organised as a 2 ...
,
Stefan Denifl Stefan Denifl (born 22 September 1987) is an Austrian former professional cyclist, who rode professionally between 2006 and 2018 for seven different professional teams. In 2019, Denifl confessed to doping during a five-year period in his career, ...
:Stage 17
Vuelta a España The Vuelta a España (; en, Tour of Spain) is an annual multi-stage bicycle race primarily held in Spain, while also occasionally making passes through nearby countries. Inspired by the success of the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia, the r ...
,
Stefan Denifl Stefan Denifl (born 22 September 1987) is an Austrian former professional cyclist, who rode professionally between 2006 and 2018 for seven different professional teams. In 2019, Denifl confessed to doping during a five-year period in his career, ...
;2018 :Stage 1

Herald Sun Tour The Herald Sun Tour is an Australian professional bicycle race held in Melbourne and provincial Victoria, sanctioned by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). The first tour was held in October 1952 as a six-day event. It is now held annually ...

Lasse Norman Hansen Lasse Norman Hansen (born 11 February 1992) is a Danish professional road and track racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI ProTeam . During his track cycling career, he has won five medals (including two golds) at the Summer Olympic Games, ...

Elfstedenronde The Elfstedenronde is a one-day road cycling race held annually in Belgium. It was held originally from 1943 until 1989, and returned in 2017 as the Bruges Cycling Classic. The race has also been called the Tour des Onze Villes and the Circuit des ...

Adam Blythe Adam Michael Blythe (born 1 October 1989) is an English former professional road and track racing cyclist, who competed professionally between 2010 and 2019 for the , , , , and teams. Blythe began racing at a young age and went on to become a ...

: Road Race Championships,

Conor Dunne Conor Dunne (born 22 January 1992 in St Albans) is an Irish former professional cyclist, who competed professionally between 2014 and 2019 for the , , and teams. Career He was named in the startlist for the 2017 Vuelta a España. Following t ...

:Stage 1

Danmark Rundt Danmark Rundt is a Danish stage race for professional road bicycle racers organized as a part of the UCI Continental Circuits. It is currently sponsored by the Danish national postal agency, PostNord, and the race is therefore also known as PostN ...

Supplementary statistics

Sources

National champions

;2017 : American Road Race, Larry Warbasse ;2018 : Irish Road Race,

Notes

References

External links

* Cycling teams established in 2017 Cycling teams based in Ireland UCI Professional Continental teams 2017 establishments in Ireland {{cycling-team-stub