Ciarán Murphy lunges for the line at the end of the A3 race at the Gas Networks Ireland VisitNenagh Classic yesterday. The win wasn't so much special for the Galway Bay CC man because he beat two of the country's best juniors but because he is lucky to be riding his bike at all after an horrific crash four years ago. (Photo: Sean Rowe)
By Brian Canty
Four years after he was crushed by a van in an horrific accident while out training, Ciarán Murphy took a memorable win on one of the hardest races on the domestic calendar yesterday, Sunday.
And on a hilly course, it was particularly special that the self-proclaimed 'big guy' of Galway Bay CC managed to hang on to a strong A3 field and win the sprint that decided matters.
Advertisement
Murphy edged the Nicolas Roche Performance Team pair of Cameron McIntyre and Aaron Kearney.
“I took it up because I was fat, to get some exercise and to lose weight,” said Murphy of his cycling career.
“I started club riding, racing as an A4, I got a buzz for that, won the Tour of Connacht a couple years ago, moved up to A3 and I won yesterday.”
Yesterday’s 110-kilometre race featured many of the country’s best juniors as well as some strong A3 men.
But Murphy, now aged 34 years and who has shed just shy of 40kg, said he was feeling good and managed to stay towards the front.
“The juniors were popping off but not really going anywhere, they just weren’t able to put us away.”
Indeed, with the exception of Dillon Corkery (Cork Giant) who had about two minutes on his own at one stage, it was very much a case of the elastic stretching but not snapping.
“The time gaps on the climbs were all between 20-30 seconds but we’d catch whoever escaped on the descent.
Related News
“On the last climb about 10 went up the road,” continued Murphy.
“They were maybe 30 seconds ahead but a group of around 10 of us worked well and caught them with 7k to go.
“I said to my teammate ‘I’m going to win’ so I sat on the front with a kilometre to go, the juniors went and I went with them and was just more powerful hitting the line.”
It’s been an amazing transformation for Murphy who was dropped 12 months ago in the same race and actually turned around to go home on the road.
“I was going home before we hit Nenagh last year but I met four guys coming against me and I finished the course.
“I said I’d be better for it if I finished and since then I worked a lot on climbing, my nutrition and everything else and it seems to have paid off.”
His story is even more heart-warming given the fact he’s had to battle back from appalling injuries sustained while out training one evening back in 2012.
“I was hit by a van while out training in Galway one Friday evening.
“There were four of us out for a spin along the Monivea Road, the sun was in our eyes and a van came up behind us, clipped one guy and drove me into a wall.
“I needed a surgical repair on my shoulder as it was it was dislocated and I broke my leg in three places.
“I was 9 months recovering from that, I was out of work at the time. So to get back took a huge amount of work.
“I got so far by myself, I wasn’t getting any better but for the last two years I’ve come on leaps and bounds and I haven’t missed a beat in training.”
He’s up to the A2 ranks now and who would bet against him winning again before the year is out?
Topics
