Having won two stages of the Junior Tour recently, Michael O'Loughlin's rich vein of form continued today when he took a silver medal in the junior national time trial championships today. (Photo: Karen M. Edwards)
By Brian Canty
Michael O'Loughlin put in a brilliant display to take home the silver medal from the National Junior Time Trial Championships in Blarney, Co Cork, today.
The first year junior rider made it a memorable day for himself and his Standard life Nicolas Roche Performance Team, when he took silver to team mate Mark Downey’s gold.
"I'm delighted, I didn't know what to expect over the 40k distance,” the Carrick teenager told stickybottle.
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“I set out at a nice tempo at the start and wasn't sure if I'd still have it at the end but I pushed on and had it.
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“It was hard; we had a headwind out and the tailwind back. And once you have the tailwind with the junior gears you're in the 52x14 and by the time you came across the line your legs really felt it.
"I wasn't sure what to expect because that's the first time I've done a time-trial over 40k so I just made sure I knew what the course was like; I knew the various points, like where the 5 and 10k markers were, and metered myself that way.
"I didn't know how I was going but you could tell by the guys coming back in, who was going well and who wasn't.
"I could tell Mark (Downey) was flying and Eddie (Dunbar) too so I knew I had to push on coming back in.
"As a first year junior it was great to get a medal; that was my aim at the start of the year, a nationals medal. So I'm delighted.”
Looking ahead to tomorrow's road race he said: "The form is good, and with six on the team we've plenty of cards to play.
“It's a long race; 10 times up that hill. You'll feel it the first time and 10 times harder the last time. It's a long race and we'll hope to do well."
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