Peter Quigley (Foyle Cycling Club) has enjoyed a breakthrough weekend after winning the Ken Duff Memorial atop the Shay Elliott climb in Co Wicklow on Sunday just 24 hours after claiming the Groucho’s GP in Co Armagh.
Though he won two races last year, as a first-year junior, the Derry 17-year-old’s victory in Wicklow on Sunday was a big step up in quality. And he told stickybottle his coach Matt Teggart had really guided him towards a higher level over the winter.
“Coming over the line, I couldn’t believe I’d just done it,” he said of beating Adam Matthews (Banbridge CC) and Fionn Killeen (Kilcullen Geospacial) to the chequered flag at the Ken Duff.
“Going up the climb I was thinking ‘if I even get to the top of this with the front group I’ll be doing well’. I was really suffering. But I just pushed myself as hard as I could.
“I saw the line and that spurred me on. I was so delighted, it was unreal. Coming in, I knew I had the legs, I just had to ride the race smart. And if I rode smart I felt I could definitely take the win. But you’re not certain, there was a lot of strong riders here.”
In the C2 event today, the riders raced from the start at Laragh towards Ballinaclash, where they began two laps of the 24km rolly circuit before leaving that course for the final 13km to the Shay Elliott climb, the last challenge.
Quigley said though the race was lined out from the start, and some splits emerged, it quickly came back together and it prove very difficult to get away.
“The bunch pretty much stayed together for the two laps but as soon as the Shay Elliott climb stated Adam Matthews just hit it from the bottom,” he said. “I hung in with him and we brought it to the line; me, Fiona Killeen and Adam. I took it in the sprint, I was delighted with that.”
At the Groucho’s GP in Richhill on Saturday, Quigley won the C2 race with a late attack up the final climb to just get ahead and hold it all the way to the line.
Now having completed the academic year at North West Regional College, where he is studying sport and exercise science, he is freer to train and race. The Junior Tour of Ireland is upper most in his mind and he hopes to ride it as part of a Cycling Ulster selection.
He won the Foyle Three Day as a second-year U16 two years ago. Last year was “very rough because I didn’t have the experience for these races”, though he still managed to win the North Down GP and the Bob Crilly Classic.
“The Junior Tour was an eye opener for me last year,” he said. “I saw what was out there… I saw that and I said to myself ‘right, I’ve a lot of work to do’. So I went away this winter, put in a big winter, just to try and get up there for this year’s Junior Tour. I know what to expect now and that’s the goal now; get up there in a few stages.”
Quigley said he was working with former pro rider Matt Teggart – now back racing for Banbridge CC – and felt he had really benefitted from the partnership.
“I feel like the training has paid off, them hours in the cold and wet were worth it. During the winter, I made sure to get as many hours during the week as I could – obviously within moderation, not doing too many hours.
“Matt laid it out perfectly for me. Any time I could squeeze in a big ride, he’d say to do it… If the weather’s good, do a big ride kinda thing. A lot more hours basically.”
Having climbed and sprinted well to win two races this weekend, what kind of a rider is he?
“I wouldn’t be an amazing sprinter, I wouldn’t be an amazing climber,” he laughed. “But I think I can do them all well. I think I’m a good all-rounder.”
