Conor Dunne leading the breakaway before he reached for the afterburners at the National Road Race Championships in Sligo (Photo: Sean Rowe)
Irish champ Conor Dunne on the kickings in pro cycling
Ireland’s new elite men’s road race champion, Conor Dunne, has said he had a very tough year last year, with the people around him central to keeping him going.
Having started racing in Belgium with an elite team as an amateur seven years back, Dunne then progressed to An Post-Chainreaction for two seasons; 2014 and 2015.
But when he went back to the UK circuit two years ago, with JLT-Condor, it looked like he may have given up on the European dream.
However, he put in some great rides and then Irish ProContinental team Aqua Blue Sport started up for its debut year in 2017. And Dunne was one of the first men signed.
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Since then he’s ridden bigger races and stepped into the storm on many occasions; animating races and going for glory time after time.
Yesterday in Sligo he took a huge win at the nationals. And afterwards he said the hard year last year when stepping up a level had made him stronger.
But he was in no doubt that many of the people in his life were very important when the reality of the challenge set in.
“Last year I took a lot of kickings; three weeks of the Vuelta just getting my head kicked in,” he said of his first Grand Tour.
“But I had a lot of good people around me telling me never to give up, to keep working.
“And this year I feel a bit stronger again; I wasn’t going to let it slip this year.”
Top down: Dunne takes a lone win. Michael O'Loughlin, Nicolas Roche, Eddie Dunbar, Mark Downey and Darragh O'Mahony in a group behind the breakaway. Alexis Roche leads another group from Marc Potts, Mark Dowling and Eoin O'Connell.
He said winning the Irish title was a huge moment for him. He got clear on the seventh lap of 10 in the Eire Og CC-promoted event.
With him was Robert-Jon McCarthy (JLT-Condor) and two Irish amateurs; Darnell Moore (Caldwell Cycles Omagh) and Jamie Blanchfield (Panduit Carrick Wheelers).
Dunne would kick on with Moore in a two-man move before attacking and getting clear of the Irish U23 rider on the final lap to win alone.
Moore, who Dunne said “was riding like a WorldTour pro”, comfortably hung on for silver and the U23 gold.
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“The national championships has always been a race that I have really wanted to win,” Dunne said.
“Every year I have just gone into the race with the mindset of just trying to do my best, and one year it would be my race.
“It turned out to be my race this year. I just managed to play it right, and I had the legs when I needed the legs.”
“It was a tough race - there was one steep climb on the course and then the rest of it was kind of flat.
“It meant that the race would split and come together again making it quite tactical.
“The makeup of the groups were changing on every lap, some riders would get caught out and some wouldn't.
“I managed to be on the right side of the split on every lap and Eddie,” he said of Aqua Blue Sport team mate Eddie Dunbar.
“And I played the team card well - every time I was away Eddie could sit on, and vice-versa.
“Once I got to them I still felt good so I knew I was on a good day. And we just went all in from that point and worked well together.
“For the last lap it was down to just Darnell and I. He did his fair pull. And I attacked with half a lap to the finish.
“I just drove it home, I just wanted it. I wasn't going to give it up without a fight.”
Dunne said the title was a big deal for him; after all the hard training and suffering that being a pro brings.
“It's a massive, massive boost. Winning the nationals has been really high on my list of career ambitions so I am over the moon.
“I'm proud to be able to wear the tricolour for a year, and my aim is to represent this jersey to the best of my ability.
“I want to have fun while wearing it and to enjoy the next 12 months. Now I'm just motivated to get back racing again and get in every breakaway that I can.
“I can’t really believe it, it’s been an up and down year. This last month I was just fighting for form and getting better and better each week.
“So I kind of knew I had a good chance of pulling it off today. My legs felt good today, and I just had to be tactically aware.”
Team delighted for Conor Dunne
Aqua Blue Sport team owner, Rick Delaney, paid tribute to Dunne’s work ethic. He said it was fitting Dunne was the champion.
"There is no rider more deserving of the privilege of wearing his national colours than Conor Dunne," Delaney said.
"He has always been a selfless and tireless worker for the team. And it thrills me to see him achieve due recognition with the Irish title that has long been in his sights.
"Congratulations to Conor and to all riders who competed in their respective national championships this week and last.
"Now to the business of designing a jersey fit for the Irish national champion."
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