By Brian Canty
Aaron Buggle has said is was “heart-wrenching” to see the U23 National TT jersey snatched from his grasp last Thursday night after a timing blunder saw victory taken from him in the cruellest possible way.
More pertinently perhaps was the fact that such a win could have seen him sign a contract with a “big French team.”
The likeable Apoge Super U rider explains the sequence of events: “Well, when I came in I didn’t feel I had the best time that I could have done. I couldn’t hold the power that I wanted to average but I came in and had to do an hour warm-down out the road. I came back and there was still no sign of anyone telling us [a result]. It was long enough at that stage, usually you know after half an hour whether you’ve won or not.”
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“I went inside and there was still nothing and it was dragged out and dragged out for I’d say about two hours after the time-trial. I then had a message on my phone ‘well done Aaron, you won’. And then I moved on into the room and someone came up and shook my hand but I was still unsure whether I’d won or not. They came up and showed me I was ahead of the other two lads; roughly 30 seconds ahead of Conor Dunne and nearly a minute ahead of Sean Downey.”
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“I got the jersey, got the presentation and I was asked to go out and take a photo outside with my jersey on. But when I was about to take a photo, a fella came up and whispered in my ear that there’s been a massive mistake and I hadn’t won.”
“In fairness to Conor Dunne, it was nothing to do with him. I have no hard feelings towards him at all. He actually apologized to me and looked like he was as gutted as me in the way that it happened because we get on well.”
“It was heart-wrenching. My whole family, my grandparents were there and I had to tell them it’s not the case, I haven’t won. There is a fella from my team here in France who came over for the race. He has all the pictures from it sent back and they were all over the internet in France.”
“The team I have been in contact with regarding a ride next year must think I’m a bit stupid; they told me to let them know the result as soon as possible. So they received two emails from me that evening; one saying I'm national champ with a photo in the jersey and the other saying sorry it was a mistake. It was humiliating to be honest. I don’t understand how they don’t, at this stage, have time transmitters to stop.”
“Either way it shouldn't happen at something so important. I’d like to try and forget it happened now and I hope I don’t come across snipey or moany; it just hurt.”
“I really wanted to make amends in the road race and show the form I have at the moment but whatever was wrong I had the worst day ever; I really had an off day and was home before the race finished. I was very disappointed because the road race was a key goal. But sometime's these things happen. Hopefully I’ll do the business back in France.”
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