Denis Dunworth looking a little worse for wear at the end of the Shay Elliott Memorial last year. The former Tralee BC/Manor West Hotel man is looking forward to a big year with his new team, MODA Kingdom Endurance Sports (Photo: Sean Rowe)
By Brian Canty
Denis Dunworth says he is motivated to win as much as possible this year and if he was to choose one race to triumph in it’d be the Des Hanlon Memorial in Carlow in late March.
The 25 year-old Tralee man rode with the An Post Sean Kelly team in its formative years but stopped competing completely as the fun had gone out of the sport for him.
But is love for the bike is back again.
He is now a key member of the new MODA Kingdom Endurance Sports team and says he is excited for the season ahead.
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Denis Dunworth pushing it on the climbs as the field shatters under pressure in last year's Rás (Photo with thanks to Ciaran Slattery)
“I think I’m more consistent on the bike now than I've ever been, which helps a lot,” he said.
“Keeping 90 per cent of my fitness all year is a priority for me and I’m getting stronger as a result.
“This year, with the team and the structure we have in place, I'm motivated to win as much as possible.
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“It I was to pick one race it’d be the Des Hanlon but it’s the only race I haven't felt comfortable in since returning to racing a few years ago.”
Dunworth has raced with the Tralee BC-Manor West Hotel team since his comeback and says the bike is a lot more enjoyable now than it was at the time he walked away from it.
Winning the national U16 title in Lurgan in 2005. Ten years on, Dunworth says he still wants to make an impression (Photo: Marian Lamb - Cycling Ulster)
“I loved riding with An Post. It was great but I decided to stop because I didn't enjoy riding the bike any more.
“I changed a few things when I started back and enjoy it more now. And I’m stronger now too.
“One thing that I've changed has been the training.
"Thanks to Dig Deep Coaching I switched my approach to more quality over quantity.
"It cut the hours down and I enjoy the harder, shorter stuff as well.”
Denis Dunworth was aged 19 years when he rode with the An Post-Sean Kelly team in Belgium. He got some good advice along the way from fellow Tralee man Paul Griffin, who was riding for the Giant Kenda team at the time.
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