An Post Chainreaction manager Kurt Bogaert, left, said while some Irish juniors are very good, other countries have many riders at that level (Photo: Joolze Dymond-An Post-CRC)
By Brian Canty
An Post-Chainreaction directeur sportif Kurt Bogaerts believes “lessons need to be learned” from last year in terms of heaping pressure on young Irish riders.
The Belgian, who also has a role with the Irish U23 team, says that hyping up riders is counter-productive.
Speaking specifically about Irish international Eddie Dunbar, he said the pressure combined with other factors led to a sub-standard performance at the World Championships in Ponferrada in late September.
“Hopefully more riders emerge and less pressure is put on the guys who are at a certain level, like was the case with Eddie last year,” said Bogaerts.
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“I think the expectations of him were too high; he was capable of these expectations but please, don’t make every rider the next Kelly or Roche.
Eddie Dunbar had an incredible season in 2014 and is now in the Continental ranks with UK-based NFTO.
“He has a lot of talent but in a lot of countries there are many Eddie Dunbars," added Bogaerts.
“I did the European and the World Championships (working for the national team) and he was putting himself under a lot of pressure.
"And hopefully he learns from that because he’s a brilliant rider. But it only starts now at U23 and into the pro ranks.
“We have the same situation this year with (Michael) O’Loughlin. He was 8th in the Worlds junior time trial last year.
“Don’t be asking ‘what is he going to do this year?’ Let them race as kids and let them find out cycling and enjoy cycling and see how it goes.
Bogaerts is best known as the man behind the wheel for An Post-Chainreaction but he also works for the Irish team at major championships (Photo: Joolze Dymond-An Post-CRC)
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"But the world won’t end if they don’t win the World Championships. Give also some pressure to the other guys.
“Give some credibility to the other guys so you bring a group along and not just one. That is the lesson we need to learn from the Worlds last year.”
Bogaerts said he was not immediately concerned about the lack of depth in junior races in Ireland, despite really small fields for the national championships last year.
Less than 10 started the time-trial, for example, and there were few finishers in the road race championships.
And Sean Kelly expressed his concern in a stickybottle interview this week about the state of the domestic scene, especially junior racing.
“I think there have been worse situations," Bogaerts said of Irish junior racing.
“The situation is not how it should be but I think we don’t need to be negative.
Bogaerts says the world will not end if riders like Eddie Dunbar and Michael O'Loughlin don't go on to become world beaters (Photo: Sean Rowe)
“Last year I did the World Championships for Ireland and in every category we were riding to win.
"And we had had a healthy ambition that we could win every race. It would be better if there was more but I think it’s improving.”
He said he tried to get Dunbar onto An Post-Chainreaction for this year, but the young Corkman went elsewhere.
“I didn’t push Dunbar at all, I said only once at the Europeans ‘we have an interest in you. If you are interested let me know and we’ll talk'.
“Then it stopped from me. I heard of so many teams ringing him up and in his ear.
"And that was also part of why he didn’t perform in the Worlds; there was too much going through his head.”
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