Having
spent last year in the trenches in Italy learning his trade, Adam Gilsenan was
back on home roads yesterday and took a strong win. The 18-year-old junior
claimed the A3-Junior Ian Gallahar Memorial, which was part of the Mick Lally
promotion by Dublin Wheelers in Summerhill, Co Meath.
Gilsenan
got clear early in the race with Quillan Donnelly (Usher Irish Road Club). Having won a hatful of youth national titles
between them, they combined to build an unassailable advantage. At the finish Gilsenan
got the better of Donnelly – who was riding his first senior race – to take the
victory.
It was an impressive performance by both riders and a
confidence-booster for Gilsenan to take a win so early in the new campaign, for
which he has high hopes.
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“I’m happy out, can’t complain, it was nice to get the
hands up,” said Gilsenan immediately after the finish. “The first lap was calm
enough and I just sent it over the climb the first time, down this road,” he
added of the Dorey’s Forge climb through the finish line.
“There
was a few of us there (in the front group) and by the time we got to the end of
the road there was only me and Quillan. So we just went up and over for the
final two laps, the last 40k.”
Gilsenan
came up through the ranks at Bohermeen Cycling Club and last year secured a
place with Italian team CC Canturino Team. It is
based in Lombardy and featured 13 riders last season, with Gilsenan the only
non-Italian among them.
He has gone back to that team this year, with his first race
in Italy on March 20th. But with the Leaving Certificate in St Pat’s, Navan,
this year he will have to travel back and forth until his exams are completed.
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“I
spent most of the year last year, from April to October, over in Italy and
there was a lot of learning,” he said. “It was a big step up compared to what I
was used to, especially with Covid the year before, not having much racing.”
Gilsenan,
who was picked on the Irish junior team for the European Road Championships in
Trento last year, offered a really honest appraisal of his experience in Italy
in 2021, saying he “learned a lot but it was a bit of a shock to the system to
be honest”.
“Out
there, the level is a lot higher and a lot more team tactics come into play,”
he explained. “So I wasn’t really used to that initially, but I’m quite happy
with how I adapted to it and hopefully this year I will feel a lot better.
“I
think I learned a lot in that first year and I was out there for a training
camp two weeks ago so I knew the legs were alright coming in today.”
Gilsenan
added he did not overdo things with training during the winter, during which he
rode a small number of cyclocross races – a discipline he medaled in a youth
nationals – and then increased his endurance riding in January.
“I
think between the training and (Italy) last year, it’s all coming together well
now. Once the Leaving Cert is done I’m going to move myself back out to Italy
and be based out there until the season is done, based in Como.
“In
terms of plans for the year, I guess the nationals is the big one and I’d love
to build up towards the Worlds. I’d like to prove myself at an international
level. Today wasn’t the biggest win but I was happy with it and there is a lot
to build still.”
