Joe Fenlon has had an amazing career that includes a national vets' title as well as the Tour of Ulster. He has for two decades been the kind of rider capable of beating all comers on his day. However, a combination of factors has contributed to his decision to say with certainty that 2016 will be it for him (Photo: Sean Rowe)
By Brian Canty
Former national vets’ champion and Tour of Ulster winner Joe Fenlon has said that 2016 will be his final season racing.
The Portlaoise man will be 45 years at the end of the month and a combination of age, a lack of time to commit to training and an almighty scare in a dreadful crash last year have left him with no doubt that this will be it for him when the season concludes.
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He contemplated calling a halt to his three-decade career last year but because he felt obliged to give something back to some loyal supporters he said he’d go for one more year – though stage races are not part of his plan.
“I’m in fair enough condition for the amount of training I’ve done so I’m happy with the way it’s going so far,” he said of his fitness now.
“I’m trying to ease my way back into it after the bad crash last year.”
That smash he refers to happened with three laps to go at the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan where he was involved in an accident on the smaller circuits around the town of Killorglin on stage four.
It was a massive pile-up that could be heard at the finish line and Fenlon recalls it in painful detail.
Fenlon, second right, was part of the Dan Morrissey team that claimed the team prize during the 2011 An Post Rás, one of three times he's claimed the coveted award. From left to right here are; Timmy Barry, Sean Lacey, Mick Fitzgerald and Micky Reilly.
“There were three laps to go and a group came down in front of me and I went over the bars and hit the ground at 65kph.
“I broke my helmet and tore every muscle around my neck; it messed up my whole year when I look back on it.
“I didn’t break anything but I ripped all the tendons around my neck and I was lucky not to break it. I hadn’t another scratch on me but I was lucky that time.
“I couldn’t get up on the bike for 5 or 6 weeks after it, which is too long to be off the bike.
“I tried to get on the bike a month later but the pain was too much. I was actually going well at the time,” he said with a laugh.
“I was starting to come around but last year I was plagued by injury, so hopefully this year now I can get a clear run.
“I contemplated stopping at the end of last year but when you get to my age… I’m getting up in the years so I felt if I stopped there would be no going back.
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“I came back after the crash and tried my best to just stay in the bunch - just to get back into it.
“It was my worst crash; all the other ones would have been just breaking a rib here and there or the odd fracture but when you land on your head it changes the whole thing,” he added.
Fenlon digs deep during the 2013 Tour of Ulster, a race he would win outright (Photo: Marian Lamb - Cycling Ulster)
Fenlon actually raced the Tour of Ulster on a week’s training and after digging deep he performed heroically to only be around 10 minutes down on winner Mark Dowling.
But after joining Strata3/VeloRolution in the off-season he’s adamant it’s just for the season.
“I’ll try to get another year out of it and see how I get on.
“I’m in good enough condition; I haven’t done a huge amount of training but maybe 6 or 7 hours a week.
“When the weather gets a bit better I’ll be able to up it again.
“I still have good strength and it’s something I don’t want to throw away too quickly.
“However, this year I told the boys I’d be taking a step back from 3-days and the Rás and just doing single-day races and doing as many as I can.
“I still think I can get good placings and maybe pick up the odd win, which I’d be happy with it.”
Indeed, with 13 Rásanna behind him and three county team prizes, he’s had a superb career but is wise enough to know when his mind and body have had enough.
“It’s been brilliant and I’ve always loved racing and the Rás and everything to do with the sport.
“I had an exceptional year in 2012 when I won the nationals and Ulster a year later but I had a free run in work too; I was doing between 10 and 12 hours a week and I was winning.
“It was hard training and I found I could do exceptionally well on that whereas now I’m only doing 6 or 7.
“I know what it takes to win but it’s getting the time to actually do the miles and the hours are the thing. It’s harder as you get older as well.
“Why I keep going is a question I often get asked but I was lucky enough to get sponsored a bike for the year and it’s given me good motivation to keep going and motivation to get something out of my last year.”
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