Ciaran Kelly was a big rider with an engine to match, but eight years on from being a member of the first Sean Kelly Academy line-up, which has since become An Post-Chainreaction, his bike business is going very well, he's planning to race again with his own new team and says he has no regrets.
By Gerard Cromwell
Back in 2005, a 17-year-old Ciaran Kelly was living in the Sean Kelly Cycling Academy house in Merchtem, Belgium.
Riding for the local Curghem Sportif team, the Dubliner’s lanky frame and aggressive racing style made him instantly recognisable on the kermesse circuit.
And his dominance on the junior scene that year led many Belgian fans to believe he was former world number one Sean Kelly’s son.
Indeed, regular chants of ‘Kelly, Kelly, Kelly,’ could be heard from the crowd whenever he hit the front of a race.
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“That was funny but we had to put them straight,” says Kelly.
“That was a really great year. I was absolutely flying. I won six or seven races and it was great craic living in the house with all the Irish lads.”
After a stint at the UCI World Cycling Centre and some more victories, this time in France and Switzerland, Kelly got his foot onto the professional ladder the following season, the first-year-senior becoming one of the original members of the Sean Kelly continental team.
But things didn’t turn out as planned, and by September Kelly was on a plane home. Disillusioned with the sport, he disappeared off the scene and has rarely been seen since.
“I put in a great winter before moving up to the Kelly team,” he recalls.
“Training was perfect. I couldn’t have done any more but we only did three or four U23 races all year. The races we were doing were 1.1, 1.2 and 2.1's, which was crazy at my age when you look back at it.
“I’ll never forget lining up at Rund Um Koln against Erik Zabel, Allesandro Petacchi, Robbie McEwan, the Schlecks and all these guys. When you’re 18 and you’re at the start line of all these big races and you’re up against all these big guys... I was delighted.
“I’d been looking up to these guys a year before as a junior. It was unbelievable. But when you look back, it was crazy. If I could change things now, I’d go back and stay with the local team for a while.
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“But when Kurt (Bogaerts, Sean Kelly team manager) gave me the chance to ride with this new Irish team, with all the lads, in all the big races... it was great craic and you didn’t want to be left out.”
A combination of knee problems and frustration at getting hammered by the big guns saw Kelly suffer a lack of motivation and develop what he describes as a ‘hatred for cycling’.
“I totally cracked. When you’re getting kickings in so many races, it’s demoralising. I remember getting a flight home on the 3rd of September 2006. I just said ‘I’m going. I can’t take any more,’ and went home.”
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After a brief stint in recruitment, Kelly opened up his own bike shop, Bikeworx in Celbridge, Co Kildare, working alongside some of his former teammates. He hasn’t looked back since.
“We started off very small, progressed onto the main street and just bought a new unit recently. We started off with nine bikes, now we have 300 bikes in stock. We have Ciaran Cassidy as head mechanic and physical therapist Tim Cassidy upstairs. We’re trying to create a good atmosphere in the shop and have a lot of loyal customers, which is great.”
Ironically, the shop is the cause of his comeback to the sport, with a new Bikeworx team planned for next year, supported by several backers.
“Bikeworx sponsored the Mondello Series last year so I got back into the bike there, rode a few races and really enjoyed it,” says Kelly.
“I started having a laugh again, so we’re decided to have a team next year. I’m not too sure but I’ll probably take out an A2 licence. I’m just going to go back and see how it goes.
“If I’m not at a great level I don’t mind, I just want to enjoy it. I’ve been doing a bit of training since Mondello. I’ve kept going. I’m down 10 kilos since September. The lads want to ride the Rás but I’ll see how the form is.
“If I was getting dropped in the Rás I’d end up just packing the bike again so I’ll probably do a year and get back into it before I give it a go. It’s basically a pro race now. You need to be doing well over 20 hours a week just to be finishing it.”
Despite missing out on the possibility of delivering on his massive potential and earning a professional contract as a youngster, Kelly has no regrets.
“You’d miss the racing and the craic in Belgium but I got the shop out of coming home early so I’m probably better off than a lot of lads. Who knows, maybe I could have got a pro contract if I’d stayed but working in the shop, it’s not really a job. It doesn’t feel like working, it’s great.”
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