Downey has won a lot of youth races and is hopeful of a good first year as a junior (Photo: Andrew O’Hara)
By Brian Canty
A leading youth rider in the past few seasons, 16-year-old Mark Downey is set to step up to the junior ranks next year. And after a strong second year at U16 level the Banbridge CC man is hopeful of making further progress in the sport in 2013.
Downey is the brother of An Post-Sean Kelly professional Sean and son of Olympian Séamus and he told stickybottle he can’t wait to get going again.
“Next year, I’ll hopefully get a ride in the Junior Tour,” he said.
“I’d love to ride that and maybe get a good result there. Maybe try the National TT Championships as well and try and get a result there and then we’ll see. I’d like to make the European or the Worlds team as well next year, one or the other. If I made one of them it would be great; if I made both it would be a bonus. Next year the plan really is just to try and progress as a junior; not really go Rambo-style at it, just take it as it comes.”
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Indeed, for a lad just out of the U16 ranks, Downey is remarkably assured but in no way cocky. He’s confident in his ability and why wouldn’t he be, having won two stages of this year’s inaugural Errigal International Youth Tour and the KOH jersey, a race won by fellow FBD Talent Team rider Eddie Dunbar (O’Leary’s Stone Kanturk).
“That was a highlight of the year getting the King of the Hills and two stages in that race,” acknowledged Downey.
“It was such a well-run race, but the first stage I regret because I made a wee bit of a boob letting Eddie get two and a half minutes on me and that was basically it really. Just the way things went, I was boxed in and though I sort of attacked I just couldn’t really get out and when I did I started to blow a wee bit trying to get across to him.”
His talent took him to Germany where he had the distinction of riding in Hamburg with some of the most promising riders on the Continent at his age and that was an experience he said he’s unlikely to forget.
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“I learnt a lot over there,” he said.
“There’s a different style of racing over there. Here, you’re the main guy and everyone is looking at you because you’re in control but over there you’re just a wee fish in a big pond and the big guys out there eat up some road.”
“It was mainly flat out there which didn’t suit me but I pushed out a good TT, I was 12th in that and I had a wee spill in the first stage but I got back on - I lost a wee bit of form from then but I got on with it. Brilliant racing though.”
The U16 category in 2012 was arguably the most competitive of all grades and that was underlined by the variety of winners. It could have been any one of 12 every Sunday, said Downey.
“The competition out there now is about 12 guys at the same level and every race it’s near enough to being a different winner every time. It’s very good though, and very competitive. And it’s good that there’s no one who’ll always run away with it.”
Many of those rivals on the road line up in the FBD Talent Team but Downey dismisses any talk of conflict.
“The talent team is brilliant,” he enthused.
“I just started off this year but it’s been really enjoyable. There are no arguments between the team and we’ve all gelled brilliantly together. We all get on very well and there’s plenty of people around me to keep me on track with Martin O’Loughlin and the management. They always look to know is there any problems and resolve them when they arise.”
Another who he reserved praise for in helping him get this far was older brother Sean.
“When Sean comes home we’d go out on the bike and I’d pick different things up from him. He’s always there for help; even when he’s away and any questions I have he’s always there to answer them.”
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