By Shane Stokes
Imogen Cotter was emotional after her national championships victory on Saturday, both immediately after the women's road race and again following the podium ceremony.
The Clare rider faced a swirl of feelings after her victory, but told stickybottle that she had a focused, driven mindset heading into the event. She explained she was so hungry to win the title that she told people in advance she was going to win.
“I came to win,” she said. “I have been saying it for the past three weeks. Even when I was leaving home, I was like, ‘mum, you're going to see me here on Sunday and I'm going to be wearing the national champs jersey.’ I was like, ‘I'm bringing it home.’
“I think sometimes you need to have the mental side. You can have all the legs in the world, but you need the mental side as well. And you need a bit of luck on the day. I had all three, so I was delighted.
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“I don't think it's properly sunk in yet. It was just a really amazing feeling to cross the line and win it, because I wanted it so badly.”
Cotter has made steady progress since taking up the sport several years ago. The 28-year-old has been competing in Belgium with the Keukens Redant squad, and is also a member of Movistar’s eTeam competing in virtual racing such as the Premier Division of the Zwift Racing League.
That has given her regular exposure to a strong level of competition, although she said on Saturday that she only really got on top of things in the past two months.
“I had a bad year with racing and it’s only the last six weeks or eight weeks that it’s picked up for me. I was just coming into this so focused on it. I just wanted it so badly.”
She said that having ridden a 350km event last weekend in Spain and France with Movistar she wondered if she had recovered.
“The first climb on the big lap was not so important, as it was quite a long kind of dragging climb. But when we went onto the second climb, the steeper one; that is where things were decided.
“If you were a sprinter you could have stuck in a bit if you just dug really deep on that draggy climb, but the steep one was different. After that [point], you just had to be a bit fearless on the descent and go for it.”
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Cotter was unsure of her chances heading towards the final sprint, explaining that she was wary of breakaway companion Megan Armitage (Team Rupelcleaning-Champion Lubricants) and Linda Kelly (Barrow Wheelers). However she said that she was able to psyche herself up on the run in to the finish and then give it everything heading towards the line.
And while she does not regard herself as sprinter, her hunger to win the title spurred her on as she reminder herself how much she wanted to win and convinced herself she could do it, which she did.
Cotter now has a prestigious new jersey to wear, something which could open doors for her. However she said that she is not quite sure what is next.
“I spent three years in Belgium, but I've literally just moved home. I moved home last week. I’m based in Clare [now]. But I think I might try and get out to Girona for the winter and do bit of training out there.
“That’s because as soon as I arrived home, it hasn't stopped raining in Clare since. So I am kind of… ‘can I stick out a whole winter here? Maybe, maybe not.’ I'm pretty much a nomad at the moment.”
Given that she has returned from Belgium, she was asked by stickybottle if she will continue racing with her current team next season.
“I am not sure,” she answered. “I get on really well with everybody at Keukens Redant. It is a real family, a chill vibe. I really enjoy racing with them. [But] I am not really sure what my plans are for next year.”
When she is weighing things up, she may well consult her uncle for advice. Jamie McGahan was present at the race, along with her father and her aunt, and has quite a background in cycling. The Scot was highly placed in several editions of the Rás Tailteann, and won the 1981 event.
He has played a crucial role in her career thus far. “When I started cycling back in 2017, I remember him bringing me out on a bike ride to kind of teach me how to cycle, because I just had no idea what I was doing,” she said.
“He was only saying that to me walking into the podium now. He was like, ‘what a journey it's been.’ When I did my first Rás [na mBan] back in 2017, I was just so clueless. I cried every day during it and Jamie was crying for me every day during it because I was out the back every single day. I was dropped within the first five kilometres. I just thought to myself, ‘just keep going…’ And I really…I just didn’t give up.
In terms of future ambitions, Cotter said that her victory means she now needs to set new targets within the sport.
“I always said I wouldn't retire until I was national champ. So now I have to find another, bigger goal. I really want to represent Ireland on the big stage, like the worlds, the Euros. I want to represent my country. That’s it.”
Landing the national road race title should certainly help to advance that goal.
