Poacher's Instinct: Ken Tobin didn't think twice about mugging the yellow jersey in Clonmel. His training sounds short but painful; a little like the race he won, above, last Sunday evening in Clonmel (Photo: Dave Coleman - Dc Images)
Having been one of the very best riders from youth to senior level in the late 1980s and early to mid 90s, Ken Tobin took a break from the sport for two decades but has returned with a bang.
The former international was once a Bray Wheeler, but having settled in Malahide, north Dublin, in recent years he is now with Swords CC. And riding for Cycling Leinster he took a stage of the Suir Valley Three Day at the weekend.
He added his win in the Sunday evening criterium in Clonmel to the Christy McManus Memorial victory he took in Wicklow earlier in the season and is brimming with enthusiasm and confidence as a result.
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“It ranks as one of my best wins; even during my days racing for Ireland,” he said.
“It’s a big race and it was great to get the win. Any Irish rider would be proud to get a win at the Suir Valley; it gives me great confidence for next year.”
Leading the group on the way to victory in the Suir Valley criterium; the kind of racing that has come easiest to him since returning (Photo: Dave Coleman - Dc Images)
While he used to win races at will; targeted preparation brought him to the top of the podium last weekend.
“It was something I had been looking at the past few months. Both myself and Aaron Buggle from A1 Coaching who I’ve been working with; we felt it was a race I could target,” he said of Sunday’s speedfest.
“I felt when I won the Christy McManus that I might have another win in me but I didn’t really feel I had it in my legs to target one of the longer races. I’d won crits at home before and in the Isle of Man years ago, so it’s racing that has suited me in the past.”
Tobin said he has been focussing on maximising the limited time available to him for training; often putting in his quality sessions on his way to work, with what sounds like punishing interval routines.
“It’s stuff like 20 seconds flat out, 10 seconds recovery; four straight minutes as hard as you can. It’s only four minutes of pain but the results are incredible.
“And then other sessions would involve a warm up and then 30 seconds on and 30 off for five minutes. And then the next five minutes is 35 seconds on, 25 off. In the third set of five minutes, it’s 40 seconds on and 20 off and then the last one; it’s 45 on and 15 on.”
The four sessions follow one after another with no break in between.
Looking good in the white jersey of stage winner at the start of Monday's final leg which finished up The Nire climb.
“Sometimes in the middle of a two or three hour spin you might throw them in, but generally I’ve been doing them going to work; maybe only half an hour in total.”
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Despite the break of almost 20 years away from racing and the fact he is now aged 38 years, Tobin said he feels the ability to race well in crits was the aspect of his game that he instantly reconnected with when he began to compete again last year.
He says of his ride on Sunday: “I was probably taking risks on the corners that lots of other guys wouldn’t; braking very late and keeping the momentum going so you are not having to go as hard out of the corners. That saves a lot of energy over a whole race.”
However, while he ended up the winner, he said the race started “like a bat out of hell” and that after 15 minutes he hit problems.
“I let a wheel go and Colm Cassidy (UCD CC) was giving out having to come past me and close the gap,” he laughed.
“But I got over that red zone and got my second wind. It was lined out and before we knew it the field had halved; it was that fast.”
He added when the sign came out at the start-finish area signalling just three laps remained, he decided to watch the yellow jersey of Dillon Byrne; from the visiting UK team Champion System-Maxgear.
His riders lined out the field in pursuit of Zippy Doyle, the VeloRevolution man going for a long one on the third last lap.
“I just sat on their train and with around 300 metres to go you could sense guys coming from behind, so I just kicked with the yellow jersey before the last corner and then kicked hard out of it.
“It was no more than 100 to 150 metres to the line; I was winding up before the corner and took a chance on it. Zippy was on my wheel and he’s beaten me before so I made sure; went at it very hard.”
The outcome of the sprint was skewed when Byrne sat up slightly early, having sprinted for the hot spots prime line rather than the finish.
But Tobin was all over him at that point and the outcome would have been too close to call.
“My confidence has grown going from A3 to A2 and then A1; seeing I was still able to mix it up in the sprint is great,” said Tobin, who admits to having both eyes firmly fixed on next season already.
“In the back of my mind I am thinking about the Rás, it’s definitely something I want to target. My season is over now, so I’ll think about next year properly after I have my holiday.
“I have a family now and obviously I wouldn’t plan the Rás without factoring in my missus and the kids; it’s a big commitment if I am going to ride the Rás. But I think I’ve given myself the belief I could get around it and I think it has to be a target.”
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