Dan Clifford has traded his DID Dunboyne colours for the EC Mayenne strip in France
By Brian Canty
Irish riders Dan Clifford and Mark Dowling are beginning to show some top form in the colours of EC Mayenne in the north west of France where they’ve been based for the last five weeks.
The duo, who ride with DID Dunboyne at home, were approached by the team’s manager earlier in the summer and offered slots with them - and they were only too glad to accept.
Since their arrival they’ve managed a number of top 10 results between them, but Kerry native Clifford reckons he’s only getting started.
“It’s going well,” enthused Clifford.
“I’ve had three top 10’s now so, yeah, I’m happy and starting to get a bit of form. Mark is really starting to motor as well so we’re not out of our depth in any way. He was third yesterday in a big race.”
Advertisement
“When I came over here first I’d nothing done since the Nationals. I had three weeks without a race and I took about 10 days off the bike completely. Then I came out here and started racing. I’ve been unlucky on one or two occasions but I think there’s more to come in me. I think I’m just starting to get into good shape now.”
Indeed, just this week the pair took part in a race in nearby La Pertre – a race that contained some of the top amateurs in the region with Europcar’s ‘feeder’ team as well as some riders from Ag2r La Mondiale. Dowling managed 21st while Clifford was active all day before fading towards the finish.
On Wednesday they were in action again, with both getting into an early breakaway that stayed away to the finish. Dowling notched third and was unlucky not to pull off what would have been a major win while Clifford worked in a support role all day for his team-mate.
“The racing is a big step up from home – it’s a much higher standard,” said Clifford.
“The big races we’re riding would be like an average stage at the Rás. They’re just flat out from start to finish and they’re raced so aggressively as well. From the gun it’s split up and fellas going, going and being brought back. The racing doesn’t stop, it just keeps going flat out and anything can happen in it really.”
Criterium races suit Clifford more, with those races often over 100km in length and thousands lining the street.
Related News
"They start about 8.30 at night and could go on until 10 or 11 at night. There’d be thousands out watching them. They’re unreal. I love them. Thousands of people out around the streets and big money on primes. They’re great for fine-tuning as well, they’d really put you into shape."
Clifford’s rise has been a very staggered one, punctuated by serious injury that has yet to see him complete a full racing season. In 2009 he almost landed a stunning win in his debut Rás but since then he’s been afflicted by disc problems in his back – a problem that has taken over two years to correct while last year he suffered a separated shoulder after an horrific crash on the last stage of the Tour of Ulster.
He now believes he’s back on the right track but he asserts that racing on the Continent is the only place for anyone with serious ambitions in the sport.
“I’m really only after realising now that if you’re serious about riding the bike, Ireland is the wrong place to be. I spent the year turning up to races and I had no motivation at all to race them hard. You know no matter how many races you win they’re not going to get you anywhere. It could be the wrong attitude but that’s the way it is in my head. You could win all you want at home and you still won’t get anywhere. When you race out here and you win, you know it can get you somewhere.”
They’ll be in Mayenne up until the 16th of September, after which the season starts to wind down but he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of going up to Belgium in search of something for next season.
“I’d love to ride with An Post but I guess I haven’t been showing the form or have the results to get in there. I was hoping that I could get to Belgium maybe halfway through September and race the last month to try and pull off a win in a kermesse or something like that.”
But he’d gladly stay where he is if the offer came.
“To be honest, we’ve been so well looked after since we arrived. We haven’t spent a penny since we got here. The apartment is free, we’ve free travel to races, free entry and then we get so much money for food every week. I’ll tell yeah now, there’s nothing wrong with it at all!”
We’ll catch up with Mark after this weekend.
Lots of class: Dowling, left, has been no stranger to the podium in France
Topics
