Connor McConvey riding cyclocross in Belfast’s Ormeau Park on Sunday
Comeback man Connor McConvey believes his strength has significantly increased in recent months and is relishing the prospect of riding with his stronger than ever An Post-Sean Kelly in 2012 and also trying to secure a trial with a major team.
The 23-year-old Belfast man told stickybottle that while making the jump from Continental level to Pro Continental, or even ProTour, will be very difficult, he believes it is not beyond him.
He plans to go into next season in peak condition to make an all-out assault on the early weeks of racing in 2012.
McConvey left the An Post-Sean Kelly set-up during the 2010 season, only to return with renewed enthusiasm for the latter part of the 2011 season and is now looking ahead with confidence.
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“This coming season for me is all about trying to make the jump up to the next level,” he said.
“I’m at the point now where I’ve done a full season on the road (with An Post-Sean Kelly) over two years. So I know a lot of the races and I know what I can do; what races I can target and be successful at. If I get myself into the right condition, I know I can be successful in them.”
While hopeful of making the jump to a bigger team, he knows this will only be possible if he bags some big wins.
“Physically, it’s not a million, million miles away. Hopefully there is more natural progression for me. Recently I have done a lot of tests and even at this stage, where I am at now physically is where I was at peak condition-wise in the middle of previous seasons or at the end of the season; so I still hopefully have that natural progression curve quite a bit.”
“Results wise, it pretty much takes three results; couple of 1.2s and then a 1.1 and really then it’s about good contacts. It’s not a massive gap.”
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“Anyone from the team who has progressed into the bigger pro teams - Andrew Fenn or in the past people like Dan Fleeman - has generally won 1.2s and maybe a stage race. So for me it’s all about the hilly races; they’re the ones I can target, without a doubt. Part of me would like to get a stagiaire for the end of the year.”
But before his season reaches that point, he says he is looking forward to racing with an An Post-Sean Kelly team that he believes has never been in better shape.
“The team is definitely getting stronger every year. Listening to Kurt Boagerts, he says he is completely inundated with requests from people to ride for the team, and all people of a good level. Success breeds success; when you see a guy you are racing with and training with, winning; like Mark McNally last year placing on the podiums in 1.2s, you know he’s a normal lad; it helps to move you on.”
Having moved from MTB to road racing three years ago, McConvey has only ridden one Ras to date, but placed fourth on GC despite “not having a clue” what to expect.
“Because I’m an Irish rider with the team sponsor and race sponsor being the same it’s super important. I think I can go there and get a result.”
McConvey believes he is good enough to win the race overall but says others on the team are also capable of winning the GC.
“It’s a UCI ranked race, it’s good for getting another team. You can’t go pro just from winning the Ras, but it can certainly help. I’ll certainly try and be there in as good a condition as possible.”
He intends to hit the ground running from the very start of his 2012 programme.
“I’m going to go into the start of the season pretty much full gas. I will go into Etoile de Bessèges, the Tour of Oman if we’re doing it, and a couple of early season classics in Belgium in March; I’ll be looking to go into that period pretty flat out. Firstly they are races that suit me, and secondly everybody else will be going flat out there so it’s important.”
“Then I’ll come down a bit after that with my condition and then build up to the Ras; be hopefully going well in May and June. There’ll also be a few races in France and then I’ll take a break and build towards the end of the season for the Tour of Britain and so on.”
While selection for the elite World Championships was not out of the question, he believed he would have to have a very good year to barge his way into that selection.
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