The Irish Continental team EvoPro Racing has taken a podium finish in its final race of the season; an emotionally charged encounter for team founder and manager Morgan Fox.
A former Irish road race champion and ex-pro on the
European circuit, Fox was returning to The Putte-Kappelen race in Belgium 21
years after his close friend was killed there.
And he has recounted the challenges that Russian rider Vadim
Volar overcome to compete in the pro game.
Some 21 years ago to the day, Fox’s former team mate,
house mate and close friend Volar rode the race and was killed after it.
The car he was travelling in after the event was involved in a crash that claimed the life of the young Russian.
Fox was back there for the first time yesterday and saw
one of his Irish charges, Daire Feeley, spend much of the event up the road.
Advertisement
His presence in the breakaway meant his team mates could
leave the other teams to do the chasing.
And after being caught, Feeley joined the effort to lead out team mate Luke Mudgway; the former world junior track champion going on to take 2nd place, behind Piotr Havic (Beat).
Daire Feeley, who has enjoyed a very strong season having stepped up to a higher level of racing this year, finished 12th.
Fox said he was delighted to go back to the race and ride
aggressively and take a podium finish.
Related News
He said Volar was an inspiration to him during his racing
days considering what he had gone through.
“He managed to leave Russia and win a pro contract in
Belgium only to be detained when he returned to mother Russia for absconding,”
he said of him.
“He worked for two years to get enough money to buy a
Ukraine passport and go again. Once more he turned pro.
“He was then hit by a truck when he swerved off a bike
path to avoid a small child. He broke both legs and had a metal rod in one
femur. It still did not stop him.
“He rode pro with the rod in his leg. The cold would get
to him but could not stop him.”
Fox said that just before his friend’s death they were both due to ride the Herald Sun Tour to end of the season and then he planned to bring Volar home to Ireland for a period.
“At the last minute he was pulled out of the Australian
trip to ride Putte-Kappelen,” he said of what would prove to be Volar’s last
race as he was killed immediately after it.
“I was given the news on the start line of stage 2 (in
Australia). I rode that day on jelly legs but still managed to get into the
break and picked up the most aggressive riders jersey to Mt Hotham.
“We shared an apartment for two years; just two foreign
lads in Belgium racing bikes for a living.
“He was an inspiration to me; stoic and proud but always encouraging and
humble.”
Of going back to the same race yesterday, Fox added: “I
was on a roller coaster of emotion all day. Not for the race mind you; but for
what this day and this race means to me.
“To then have Luke Mudgway on the podium today in 2nd was
incredible. I’d love to think Vadim had a part to play.”
Topics
