After a string of wins at home and abroad, Dion McCarthy is wasting no time; lining up a foreign ride from the start his junior career.
One of the country’s most promising young riders has landed himself a place on Belgium’s top junior squad for 2015. Former Fermoy CC rider, Dion McCarthy will link up with the Zanatta-LOTTO team for next year. He will become the first ever foreign rider on its roster.
It is an exciting move for McCarthy whose family from the north Cork area have made great progress in the sport at home and abroad in recent years.
He is the brother of Irish U23 international Eoin McCarthy, who has been in Belgium for the last two years and has ridden the Nations Cup with the national team and was reserve for the U23 road race at the World Championships in Spain last month.
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His cousin David McCarthy is currently on a stagiaire with the An Post Chainreaction team, having competed at home with the Nicolas Roche Performance Team in recent years.
Another cousin, Robert Jon McCarthy already has an An Post Rás stage win and yellow jersey under his belt and next year he will link up with the Dutch-based SEG Cycling Team, leaving the An Post-Chainreaction squad for whom he rode this year.
Racing in Holland earlier this season; despite his youth, McCarthy has had not insignificant exposure to foreign competition.
“I had a few offers from a few English teams and a few Belgian teams,” 15-year-old Dion McCarthy told stickybottle.
“But I said I’d go for this team because they’ve a better calendar and a better set-up than the others.
“According to the lads I know in Belgium, they’re the best team in the country at the moment so it’s a big move for me.”
His plan is to continue with school in Cork and to train at home for the winter. Next year, he will move between Ireland and Belgium for races, and when he finishes up in school in June will base himself in Belgium for the remainder of the season.
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“It’ll be a high standard; I’ve watched them and I think the quality will be a big step up,” he said of the move from the Irish to Belgian junior scene so early in his development.
“I’d like to make the Irish national team and all my team selections for races over there. And from that, hopefully get to the European Championship and the Worlds with Ireland.
“But just to even get selected; I’d be delighted. And the Junior Tour would be another big goal for me.”
Riding the Youth Tour of Scotland earlier in the season with the FBD Talent Team 2020
McCarthy is a very capable rider and is best known as a sprinter. He has taken a string of wins at home and during racing trips to the UK and Continental Europe.
He led home an FBD Talent Team 2020 clean sweep of the first four positions in the Steensel kermesse in the Netherlands this summer.
“I did about 10 races and ended up winning one with the talent team, and didn’t leave the top 10 in most of them,” he said of the Irish youth squad stint away this year.
“I did the European Youth Tour then as well and I was 9th overall and 4th in the queen stage. But I know I can win.
“I’m ready to take on what’s to come. All I need to do now is the work over the winter and hopefully it’ll pay off.”
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