Former international rider turned sports therapist, Karl Donnelly worked on the Giro d'Italia as a soigneur for French pro team Europcar along with fellow Dubliner John Caffrey. Both are hopeful of further opportunities.
By Graham Healy
During the recent visit of the Giro d’Italia to Ireland, two Irish cyclists managed to land roles with one of the teams taking part, providing them with a great insight into how a professional team operates.
John Caffrey of Lucan CRC and Karl Donnelly of South Dublin CC worked as soigneurs for the Europcar team during the Grande Partenza north and south.
Both now plan to keep the lines of communication open with the team and Donnelly said there was a chance of more work with the squad, including on the Tour de France.
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Donnelly has raced at a very high level in the past, being selected for the Irish team a number of times including for the Rás in 1998 and the Manx International, amongst other races.
The Dubliner would subsequently go on to train as a deep tissue sports therapist and in the past number of years as worked with the Stamullen and Eurocycles teams in the Rás and the Leinster team in Rás na mBán.
He also worked as a masseur for the All Blacks prior to their match against Ireland late last year. Donnelly said that the opportunity to work for Europcar came about through a former team mate of his who has contacts in the team.
The duo met with the French squad on the Wednesday evening in Belfast, just two days before the race began with the team time trial in the city and their work started in earnest the following day. “Our day would start at 7.30am,” said Donnelly.
“After breakfast, we’d go to the team truck and camper van to prepare bottles and musettes for the day. We’d make up 100 bottles for road stages.
“We’d then give the cyclists a quick massage before the stage and then we took off to do the feed zone.
“After that, it was back to the finish to wait for the riders coming in at the end of the stage with bottles of water or a can of coke if needed.
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Then we’d load the riders up and drive back to the hotel; showers and massage, then dinner and bed.”
Donnelly said he and Caffrey enjoyed the experienced immensely.
“I don't speak French and they didn't have much English but we got by, there was a lot of mutual respect. And you had a job to do so you did it in a professional manner.”
Having worked with both professional and amateur athletes he found dealing with finely tuned pro cyclists no different to most other sports people he has met through his work.
“They were all very relaxed, very chilled out guys. They’re human just like the rest of us and they enjoy a good laugh as well as a bit of banter.”
Donnelly (blue hat) and Caffrey (glasses on head) getting the Europcar time trial bikes sorted out for the team test in Belfast.
The two lads in the Europcar team truck during the Giro's Irish start. They say further work with the squad is a possibility.
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