David Montgomery shows the pain of being Ireland's top rider in the U23 Tour of Flanders; his first road race in an Irish jersey and his first abroad (Photo by Kristof Bruers)
By Brian Canty
David Montgomery said he was happy to make it back in one piece after his debut for the national team in the U23 Tour of Flanders.
The Team 3M rider was part of the six-man Irish line-up for the opening Nations Cup race in Belgium and Saturday.
And though it was his first time competing on the road this season – and his first ever road race abroad and for an Irish team anywhere - he was the best-placed Irishman by the finish, crossing the line over six minutes down on the winner.
He said it was like nothing he’d ever done before but his performance gave him confidence for his trade team debut this weekend; the U23 Liege-Bastogne-Liege.
Advertisement
“There were a lot of crashes, even in the first 40k a lot of people came down,” he said of his Flanders outing.
“There were lots of dodgy riders and it was absolutely hectic from the start; guys squeezing into gaps.
Montgomery putting his cyclocross skills to good use on the cobbles in Belgium today when he navigated his way safely around the 177-kilometre course to come home in a very respectable 45th place six minutes down on the winner (Photo with thanks to Jens Morel)
“If you let anyone past you’d go right back down the field so it was a case of staying towards the front. But then the rain came on real heavy and made it even dodgier.
“It was quite a technical course that came through a few towns with a lot of corners so there were big accelerations which meant quite a few more crashes.”
“I just kept going,” he laughed.
Related News
"I knew I was up somewhere near the front, I think I was just off the front group coming to the last 40k.”
He’d stayed out of trouble up until then, but when he skidded off the road and down a steep embankment his hopes of a result ended.
“I had a pretty big crash on the descent of the Koppenberg,” he explained.
David Montgomery on his way to the best result of the Irish team at the U23 Tour of Flanders. It was his first ever international road race (Photo with thanks to Jens Morel)
“I was riding hard because I knew I was going downhill okay but then we came to a tight bend.
“I tried to get around it but it was wet with quite a few leaves on the ground.
“There was a massive ditch and I went over the bars and down 10 metres I’d say.
“I got up and spent the last 30k riding from group to group up the road.
“I was riding faster than the guys so I’m pretty sure I could have stayed with the top guys if I hadn’t crashed.
“But I was just happy to make it back in one piece; more than half the field couldn’t say that so I’ve nothing to be unhappy about.”
It was an extremely testing afternoon yesterday with some of the riders having to walk up the climbs. (Photo: With thanks to Jens Morel)
Topics
