Riding for Ireland as a junior at the World Championships in Italy last year; Dylan Foley's next encounter with the green jersey will be in Kerry at Easter where he knows the challenge will be no less intense (Photo: Brendan Slattery)
By Brian Canty
Aquablue rider Dylan Foley finally got the win he was looking for last Sunday in the race run by the club he joined from the Nicolas Roche Performance Team last winter and is hopeful he can build on that success.
The Leaving Cert student, who has had to cut down training this week on account of his oral exams, said it was a brilliant way to mark getting selected on the Irish U23 team for the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan.
“I knew I was going well the last few weeks but racing is racing and anything can happen,” he said.
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“I felt good last Sunday and (coach) Timmy Barry just told me I had a great chance to get up the road and if I did, with the weather being bad, I felt heads would drop and I could gain time.
“The course was hard and the day was rough but it’s the same for everyone I guess. So I just tried to follow wheels in the early part of the race and after a couple of laps I managed to get away with Sean (Lacey) and Mick Fitzgerald (VeloRevolution).
“We worked away well together for a few laps but it was hard; the drags seemed to get longer every lap but we were getting time gaps and I knew the race was over with two laps to go when Mick got distanced.
“Myself and Sean kept riding honestly then, just not to get complacent. And at that point I was just hoping I wouldn’t puncture or something bad wouldn’t happen. I hadn’t won a race at this level and I didn’t want to think about the finish until we were actually at it.
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“But Sean being Sean knew how much the race meant to me and it was just the best feeling to actually cross the line in first place. I’ve been close a number of times this year, maybe even stronger than I was on Sunday.
“But it’s just so hard to win a race now. Guys are flying. I’m absolutely thrilled. It’s such a weight off the shoulders and hopefully it can be a sign of more to come. Hopefully I can add a few bigger ones.
“This is the product of a lot of winter miles and the help of Timmy and the team. I can’t speak highly enough about them. They all drive each other on and we know there’s more to come from us if we keep this up.”
When pressed on what his other goals might be, Foley was less than forthcoming.
“No I think I’ll be keeping that to myself,” he laughed.
“I have a few personal goals in the next few weeks and I’m all about those now. Timmy definitely won’t let me get carried away with this because the big stuff is ahead of me and Rás Mumhan now is foremost in my mind.
“I’m really looking forward to getting back in an Irish jersey and doing the best I can. The U23 team who went last year didn’t exactly have a picnic and I’m under no illusions about the standard that’ll be in Kerry. But I’m up for the challenge.”
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