Mark Dowling took home third place and a cheque for €2,800 but he said the result was a big disappointment. He admitted “solid conversations” have taken place with team managers but he has no clue as to where he'll be racing next year.
By Brian Canty
Mark Dowling has described his third place in the Taiwan KOM Challenge last Friday as a “devastating” result and a “massive loss”.
The reigning national criterium champion spent the last few months training specifically for the event in the hope of winning the top prize of close to €30,000.
Having come 10th last year, he said he’d increased his power and dropped his weight by 3.5 kilos since the conclusion of the domestic racing season and “everything was perfect” for a stab at the big pot.
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“I was feeling good when I arrived there last week,” he said.
“I knew from last year and the problems I had what I needed to do so I spent three months in the run-up to it doing really specific training.
“I had everything down to a tee, my training and my diet were spot on and I was down to 58 kilos.
“I’d lost 3.5 kilos since my race season weight so I could see the physical changes it was making.
“I’d convinced myself I’d it won. I had a positive attitude and everything was perfect.
“I only ran into a small bit of trouble about a week or 10 days before it where for the first time in my career I couldn’t push myself.
“Some days I found motivation hard to come by and though I was still going well, I found it hard to really dig deep and I panicked.
“But then the very next days I could set brand new PBs and a week before the event I was really motivated again.”
Mark Dowling was all smiles after the Taiwan KOM Challenge despite the grueling nature of the event.
Dowling describes the constant hill repeats in the Dublin Mountains as being in a kind of solitary confinement as he honed himself.
“I was doing 5-hour hill sessions just up there, 20 minute effort after 20 minute effort.
“I mostly focussed on doing those intervals. I cut out bad food, chose what I ate very carefully but just kept it simple and balanced.”
When he arrived in Taiwan he said he felt good, though the heat and humidity of the tiny island in the South China Sea took some adapting to.
In the days leading up to the race Dowling became something of a celebrity with various press conferences to attend – the Irish national champions kit doing him no harm in that regard.
“During the race I noticed a lot of the favourites were watching each other and everyone knew the game; no matter who attacked it was just too early and everything is about the last hour. Everyone followed the moves.
“Plenty guys went away but they were mopped up without much of a push from the bunch.
“I remember the first 94k was easy, it was a stroll so I knew I was on top form.
“I was still convinced I was going to win and coming down the last descent before the final climb I felt good.
“The speed down was unbelievable and guys were overshooting the bends left, right and centre.
“I followed the first attacks fine, I let them go and brought them back at my own pace.”
Dowling hangs on tight during the business end in Taiwan and with a pot close to €30,000 just up the road.
But the big attack proved too much for the ace Irish climber.
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“Maybe at 2,500 metres I was breathing loudly, it sounded like someone strangling a donkey!
“When the attack went from (eventual runner-up) John Ebsen, I just stalled for a minute and thought someone else might take it back.
“Then I realised that was the one that was going so I tried to ride to try and close it but I could do no more. I realised I couldn’t give any more.
“With around 40 minutes to go I knew I couldn’t win it. I was holding a 150 metre gap all the way to the finish, as if I was a backseat passenger.
“I was down as far as 6th and I knew it was gone but then I pulled myself together.
“It took a long time to pick off 5th but I got up to third. There was a short descent and I just recovered enough to get him in the sprint.
“But I could hear them calling the winner at 150 metres to go and I was devastated, maybe not as bad as last year.
“It’s not what I was good enough for. It was definitely a huge disappointment and hard to take…it was a massive loss. A loss of a lot of money but the amount of motivation I have now is incredible.”
Dowling's entourage in Taiwan consisted of his father Mick, who looked well pleased with his son's work.
In the aftermath, Dowling was approached by several team managers with a view to being taken on board for 2016.
He said “solid conversations” have taken place but he hasn’t yet decided where he’ll be.
“I’ve had solid conversations with some proper teams and they seem interested.
“But it’s about finding the right team and the right race programme.
“I have no clue at this stage, I dunno when I’ll start training or where I’ll be…I’m having a hectic few days planning all that.”
When asked had An Post Chain Reaction been in contact he said, “I don’t think they even know who I am but I’m confident that if I just keep dogging it out I’ll make it, somewhere.
“I’ve always believed I’ll get there in cycling and that’s what I thought about when I changed from triathlon.”
He said making the Irish team for next year’s Olympics is now a major target and believes on a climber’s course like the one in Rio de Janeiro he deserves to be part of the team that competes.
Dowling, in blue, is hoping to force his way into the reckoning for a place on the Irish team at next year's Olympics.
“I’ve always kept quiet because when you open your mouth you get shot down but that’s my goal and where I think I should be.
“When I looked at the course and the trial race the results were filled with punchy climbers, which is what I am. Who’s actually going to get over the climbs, you have to ask?
“Roche, Martin and Deignan will be there but I think the next man is definitely me.
“I can’t imagine who else it will be. I’d be up to the standard, rather than sending someone who’s a bigger name but who’ll get shelled.
“Hopefully there can be more chances to get a few more national jerseys in the year.
“This year was fantastic but I think there should definitely be more opportunities because we’ve proved we can compete.
“This result gives me a dangerous amount of motivation for the year ahead.”
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