Olan Barrett has decided the game is up on his racing; the demands of being competitive on the bike and the lure of another code proving too much for the Corkman. Pictured by George Doyle in Kerry Group Rás Mumhan at Easter
By Brian Canty
One of the real strong men of the domestic road racing scene, Olan Barrett is to sit out the 2015 racing season after deciding to take an indefinite break from the sport.
The Fermoy man, who has ridden for the Aquablue team for two very successful years, cited the commitment required as being the main reason he has opted to take a “sabbatical” for next year, at least.
“Honestly it was too draining,” he explained to stickybottle.
“It’s been taking up too much time and I’m not the type of person who could do anything half-arsed.
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"I’m not the type who could take three days off the bike, it would mentally kill me. I couldn’t race on the back of that. Some people said I could train two or three days a week and race then.
"But I wouldn’t want to do it because I’d be going to racing knowing I wouldn’t win and I wouldn’t feel happy with that."
The Aquablue 'Men of the Rás': The winning team of 2014, from left to right - Sean Lacey, Barrett, Damien Shaw, Keith Gater, Bryan McCrystal and team principal Timmy Barry.
Having decided in October he wanted a break, team principal Timmy Barry asked him to stay on but Barrett said he felt himself he had had enough.
"Having said that, I wouldn’t say I’m retired, it’s more a sabbatical," he added.
"I’m doing a bit of running, I’ll do a few short (running) road races and do a bit in the gym too."
Barrett said the lure of golf is another reason he’s taking a break.
It is a sport he played to a very high level in the past before taking up cycling.
“That was always my first love, that’d be my focus next year," he confirmed.
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For a man who was once very overweight and took a golf bronze medal at a European Universities Championships, Barrett’s move to cycling was marked by full commitment, just like his riding in the Rás, above (Photo: Gary McIlroy)
“I’m playing off six and the aim is to get right down with my handicap again.
"The thing with golf is it’s not as taxing; it’s not like cycling where if you don’t cycle for a week you’re gone backwards.
"I can take two weeks off golf and I’ll still be okay, that’s not the case with cycling.”
Asked what he regarded the highlight of his cycling career, he cited his first outright victory in the Charleville Two Day.
"That first stage I’ll never forget," he said.
"Another would be two An Post Rás podiums, I’ve ridden it twice and been on the podium twice," he said in reference to the winning team line-ups he was part of.
Always a very strong and honest rider, the many friends Barrett has made on the bike will wish him well and hope to still see him on the road.
"Then I suppose the Lacey Cup in 2012 when Sean (Lacey, team mate) won and I was in the break with him.
"And another ride I'll remember was when I finished sixth on the third day in Rás Mumhan last year. It was only sixth but they were probably the best legs I ever had.
"It was just a case of the bunch whittling down and it was nice to be part of it, it was nice to be in there on that dirty, cold day.
"And Damien Shaw (team mate) holding the yellow jersey as well, it meant I had to ride on the front and I enjoyed that. It was a bit stressful at times.”
Barrett also made a great breakaway on last year's Rás when he showed he was willing and able to get clear of the pros and fly the flag for the county men.
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