One of the strongest junior riders in Ireland last year and in 2016, Ben Walsh is now departing the UK scene for France.
Irish cyclist Ben Walsh set for new French team
The winner of the Junior Tour of Ireland last year and twice the national junior TT champion, Ben Walsh is to race in France next year.
While the Leaving Cert took much of his focus in the early part of the 2018 campaign, Walsh rode at Continental level for the season.
Securing a place at UK-based Vitus Pro Racing meant he got to ride some of the best races in the UK.
And he also received a call-up for the Tour de Yorkshire, where he raced against WorldTour riders.
An iron deficiency, which took a long period to diagnose, held him back somewhat in what was his first year out the juniors this year.
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However, he has now secured a place with the French division one team GSC Blagnac Vélo Sport 31 for next season.
And in the year ahead the Irish rider is looking to refocus on his great strength; his TT riding.
“This season (was) far from what I had hoped, but I still gained huge experience,” he said of racing with Vitus in the UK.
“It was always going to be difficult moving to a Continental set-up while doing the Leaving Cert in the same year.
“But it was an opportunity I felt I had to take. Looking back now, sometimes I think maybe it was a bit much travelling back and forth while studying."
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Riding the junior TT at the Worlds last year and on his way to overall victory at the 2017 Junior Tour. He led the Junior Tour from start to finish after winning the opening TT stage (Photos by Sean Rowe and Stephen McMahon)
He continued of racing for Vitus this year: “If I had to make the decision again I would do the same. I got to race against some of the best riders in the world at the Tour de Yorkshire.
“And I could pretty much see the standard I have to get to. It’s a totally different ball game compared to watching it on TV; that’s for sure.”
While Walsh got to ride a number of Premier Calendar races, many of the criteriums he might have ridden clashed with his exams. And stage racing opportunities are very limited in Britain.
But he feels with a move to France there should be more racing, allowing him to develop as a cyclist over a full and busy season.
“I’m moving to France essentially for a better calendar and to start focusing on my time trialling again, like when I was a junior,” he explained.
“This year wasn’t great to say the least,” he said of his usually very strong riding against the clock.
“It started to go downhill mid season and I didn’t really know what was going on until I got my bloods done. I was putting in the hours but not getting the results.
“I found my iron levels were really low. And after a few weeks of supplements and a change in diet I started to feel like myself again.
“So next year I’m trying to set the bar high. I want to start making the Irish squad for Nations Cups,” he said the U23 international road race series.
“And I really want to focus on the nationals TT. Hopefully I’ll be in the mix for major championships selection.”
Walsh has decided to forego college for now in favour of a full-time tilt at racing next year. And he will leave Ireland for France in January.
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