The An Post Sean Kelly Cycling team has been launched today in Belgium. The 2012 squad features 18 riders with talent from all around the world. Such is the strength of the team five of them are Irish and four British. Commenwealth Games Bronze Medlist and local Mark Christian has signed for the squad after graduating from the Great Britian Under 23 Academy. Jonny Bellis has also signed after three years at World Tour level with Saxo Bank team. The team has had huge success over the last couple of years competing in some of the biggest events around the world. Team Manx Telecom wish both Mark and Jonny all the best for 2012 and we look forward to reporting on your success. More from VeloUk.net here. Keep checking back over the coming weeks as we will have reports on other team launches who locals are riding for.

Photo: An Post Sean Kelly Team was launched today in Belgium. Present bottom row third and fifth from left locals Jonny Bellis and Mark Christian. Photo from VeloUk.net

World Road Race Champion Mark Cavendish has taken his second victory of 2012 on Stage 5 of this years Tour of Qatar. The BBC Sports Personality of the year produced another of his masterclass sprints to cross the line first ahead of Daniel Oss and Peter Sagan in a bunch sprint featuring eighty riders.The stage was animated by a two-man break featuring Aliaksandr Kuchynski (Katusha) and Maciej Bodnar (Liquigas-Cannondale), but they were swept up by the Garmin-Barracuda-led peloton in the finale. Filippo Pozzato (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia) was a faller in the early part of the stage, and was taken to hospital for an x-ray on a suspected broken collarbone. British riders Adam Blythe was 24th with Ian Stannard 34th. Overall, Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) retains his overall lead ahead of Friday’s concluding stage along Doha’s Corniche. Cavendish is 7th overall on General classification with team mate Bernhard Eisel 5th at 45seconds. More from Cyclingnews.com here

 Photo from cyclingnews.com .

World Road Race Champion and Manxman Mark Cavendish has taken his first victory of 2012 for Team Sky. The Manx Missile won stage three of a wind swept race that saw echolons and splits occuring just 30km into the stage. A breakaway of four riders were soon swallowed up by the fasting moving front group. Garmin Barrcuda looked like they had things untill control coming to the finish but it was Cavendish who timed his move perfectly to beat Boonen to the line. Cav said "It’s incredible to win [with the rainbow jersey]. I said I wanted to make the jersey proud. You never really get the season going until you get that first win under your belt. So now it’s there I can hopefully get on a roll now and we can win some things."

Photo from Team Sky website here. Well done Cav ! We look forward to reporting on many more victories this season.

The Tour of Qatar kicked off today with Tom Boonen taking victory at the end of a 142km stage from Barzan Towers to Doha Golf Club. British rider Adam Blythe (BMC Racing) finish an impressive 2nd with Peter Sagan taking third. World Road Race Champion and local Mark Cavendish came home in 49th with 108 riders all at the same time. Tomorows stage is a 11km time trial. Good luck to Cav and everyone at Team Sky for the remainder of the race. More from Cyclingnews.com here. Meanwhile neo pro Andy Fenn won the first stage of Mallorca Challenge with neo pro Luke Rowe finishing 13th.

Team Manx Telecom are pleased to announce that we have appionted Sharif Gomaa from Just Go Physio as our club physio and strength and conditioning gym coach. Sharif runs Just Go Physio based at Carrefour Health Club in Douglas and has a strong growing reputation with his clients. Sharif has worked as Physio for Team Isle of Man, Vagabonds Rugby club, IOM Boxing and Rapha Condor Sharp Pro cycling team. He is a quailifed strentgh and conditioning gym coach and offers tailor made gym programmes for any athletes. Club members can recieve a special discount for more information conact Sharif on 678297 or 306552.

The local season kicks off in four weeks time. If you haven't already done so remember you'll need to apply for a TLI Licence for any racing on the Isle of Man. For those of you wishing to compete off Island under British Cycling regulations you will need to apply for a BC Licence. TLI here . You will also need to get an entry form in the post for race's outside of the RR League and 10 League more information for that when it becomes available. Bc Licence appliction here. The first event locally is the Microgaming Sporting time trial on March 3 followed by the first of the Black Grace Cowley RR Series the Sunday after. 

Don't forget the Team Manx Telecom sign on night takes place on Friday 24th Febuaray from 7.30pm for an 8pm start. Food is availble and we are hoping to have the new kit on show. More on are Facebook page here

Team Sky Professionals Peter Kennaugh and Ben Swift have been named in a full strength squad for the forthcoming World Cup event on this year Olympic Velodrome. The pair both Onchan residents and members of Team Manx Telecom have been selected to take part in just over two weeks time. The mens endurance squad is Steven Burke, Ed Clancy,Andy Tennant and Geraint Thomas. Womens Wendy Houvenaghel,Dani King,Joanna Rowsell and Laura Trott. Kennaugh and Swift have been training between the Isle of Man and Majorca since the Christmas period and were even seen out for a ride with the Posse a few Saturdays ago. Team Manx Telecom wish the pair the best of luck this year and we look forward to reporting on your sucess's. More from Cyclingweekly.co.uk here

The entries for the 2012 Isle of Man End 2 End challenge opened at midnight last night, and already there are an incredible 900 entries. If you want to join in this epic event, sign up now on the end to end website now!

Entries are once again capped at 1700, so don't delay.

An Post bound Mark Christian has won the National Madison Championships with partner Simon Yates. The pair riding in the colours of Great Britian for the Un23 Academy produced a textbook performance beating Team Sky rider Dowsett and Sigma Sport rider Murray for the Gold Medal. Bronze went to George Atkins and Owain Doull. The pair got early points which played well in their favour and they both responded well when Silver medal winners Dowsett and Murray tried to gain laps later on. More from VeloUk.net here More pictures from the night here. Video from BritishCycling here. It's another National Track title for another rider from the Isle of Man good luck to Mark this coming year as he heads of to Continental team An Post Sean Kelly and joins fellow manxman Jonny Bellis.

The National Madison Championships are set to take place on Saturday to a sell out crowd at the Manchester Velodrome. The event will take place before the Finale of the Revolution series with local An Post bound Mark Christian competing under the 100% Me GB Academy colours. Christian who won the event in 2010 with fellow local Team Sky rider Peter Kennaugh is certain to be a favourite for the title but Kennaugh will not be riding. Christian will certainly be one of the favourites and Port Sodericks Joe Kelly is also on the start list. Start List here More from Cycling revolution here. 

The British race season is just around the corner and teams are jetting off to sunny locations around the globe to fine tune preparations for this season. Three Team Manx Telecom riders are competing for team's based in the UK. Jonathan Creggeen who is studying at Lancaster is part of the BikeTreks Ambelside squad, Jonathan a.k.a Beanbag had an impressive season last year with a top result in the Junior Tour of Wales where he finished 4th overall. Tom Black is part of Cycle Premier Racing Team formley Cycle Premier Metaltek. Black who was on the continent last year competing for Asfra Flanders had a successful year after respresenting the Isle of Man at the Commenwealth Games in 2010. Tim Kennaugh rides for Rapha Condor Sharp and with a full international flavour on board they are set to be a real threat this year. Good luck to BeanBag,BigTom and TK. It doesn't just stop there Chris Whorall another Team Manx Telecom rider returns to Italy after a successful season and Chris Nicholson returns for his second year in Belgium with VC Ardennes. Commenwealth Games Bronze Medalist Mark Christian moves from the Great Britian Academy to the Continental squad An Post Sean Kelly. Mark recently finished 4th in the Great Britian pursuit team at the Bejing World Cup round. He joins fellow Manxman Jonathan Bellis from Saxo Bank Sunguard. Jon Mould also graduates from the Academy making it quite a british flavour on the team. If you thought that was enough we haven't mentioned our World Tour professionals one who has won 20 stages of the Tour De France, a green jersey,numerous other Grand Tour victories and is the current World Road Race Champion. Mark Cavendish joins locals Peter Kennaugh and Ben Swift at Team Sky. Peter and Ben both rode there first Grand Tours in 2011. Manx Viking Wheelers rider Joe Kelly is also part of the Great Britian Academy and up and coming young gun Josh Knights rides for Mountivation Development. Anna Chrisitan riders for Scott Uk Womens Team.

It's set to be quite a year with 13 locals competing for Professional and Amatuer teams. Amung this a National Squad will be competing in events across the Uk preparing for Bemuda 2013 and Glasgow 2014. ManxRoadClub.com wish everyone the best of success in 2012 and we look forward to reporting on everyones achievments ! We have updated the links page with respective team websites so feel free to have a browse and find out more.

We are pleased to announce our sign on night will be held upstairs in the function room at the Creg na Baa on Friday 24th February 7.30 for 8pm.

There will be hotpot served with red cabbage and a bread roll or, there is a vegetarian option of Lasagna and Chips £5 for members and £7 for non members. A Children's meal of Sausage and Chips £3 for members £4.50 for non-members is available too. We need to confirm numbers for catering so please confirm your attendance to Aaron Livsey by email aaron.livsey@hotmail.com

We look forward to seeing you there, new members are most welcome to come and join on on the night too.

Isle of Man Cycling have realeased this years Calender. Available here. The season kicks off with the Microgaming Sporting time trial with the first of the Black Grace Cowley Road Race series the week after. It doesn't stop there in March with the Road Club running a Handicap road race the week after and the Fletcher trophy wrapping up March.  April sees the 10 league kicking off with the first of the years sportives round the curraghs on Easter Sunday. Click on the link to find out more at the top. 

Apolgies re. Calender there is a mistake on the dates from Feb onwards. Each date is out by one all races are still on Sundays not Saturday as the calender shows with the dates.

World Road Race Champion Mark Cavendish will make his Sky debut at the Tour of Qatar which starts on the 5th Feb. The BBC Sports personality of the year is part of an eight man squad set to tackle the first of the Middle East Tours. Cav is joined by teammates Davide Appollonio, Michael Barry, Bernhard Eisel, Juan Antonio Flecha, Jeremy Hunt, Christian Knees, Ian Stannard. Cavendish then rides the Tour of Oman four days later. Meanwhile locals Peter Kennaugh and Ben Swift start their 2012 campagin at the Giro di Sardegna.

Elliot Baxter took victory again in the fourth round of the Manx Mountain Bike Club's winter series. The round held at Archallagen plantation a field of close to 100 riders. Baxter stormed round the course completing six laps in a time of 01:46:39. Second place went to Island Games competitor Rob Sorby coming home nine minutes behind Baxter. Third went to Ben Corkill with Julian Corlett taking 4th. Younguns Nick Corlett and Jake Kelly came in 7th and 8th. In the Sport event Mark Tuson took the win in 1:24:33 with Mark Noon a close second and Paul Flanders just behind in 3rd. Mark Madsen Mygdal took the Novice win with a respectiable two laps in 47minutes 32seconds. In the Youth event Nathan Draper took victory with Joseph Haddock and Leon Mazzone 3rd all members of the popular Royal London 360 league. Results here

Mark Christian and Joe Kelly formed half of the mens team pursuit team that rode to fourth place in Beijing on Friday. The manx pair who are both on the Great Britian Academy programme teamed up with Sam Harrision and Simon Yates posting 4:06.853 to be beaten by the New Zealand quartret for Bronze. In the final Australia were forced to settle for silver with Ruselvo winning by over four seconds in 3:56.993 to take gold. Christian is now part of the Continental An Post Sean Kelly team and join fellow manx man Jonny Bellis on the road this season. More from BC here

World Road Race Champion Mark Cavendish is preparing for this season with Team Sky on their training camp in Majorca. The BBC Sports Personality of the year is making most of the the warm weather and the variety of terrain on the picturesque Spanish island. It's set to be the best ever year for Cavendish as he says "He's wants to remain the fastest but become the greatest" Find out more here from cyclingnews.com or here from Team Sky.More from The Sun here

Picture: World Road Race Champion Mark Cavendish from The Sun

Local resident and Team Sky rider Ben Swift talks to Eddie Allen on his career so far and what lies ahead in the near future. At only 24 years old Swift has already racked up the kind of palmarers that a rider ten years his elder would envy. Find out more from British Cycling here. Good luck this year Swifty from everyone on the Isle of Man

GB Academy riders Mark Christian and Joe Kelly are part of the six man endurance squad heading to Beijing to compete in the third round of the World Cup track classics. It a particular young squad throughout all disiplines but Performance Director and head of Team Sky said "“Beijing is a great opportunity for the young riders to gain competition experience at elite level, whilst allowing for our Podium athletes to focus on the next round of the World Cup in London, before travelling to Australia for the World Championships.” Good luck to Mark and Joe keep checking back as were sure to report on their success over the coming week. More from BC here

The 2012 Team Manx Telecom application form can be down loaded here