Newry's Peter McConville says defending his vets' champion's jersey at the National Cyclocross Championships on Sunday in Belfast will be tough; but he'll fight all the way (Photo: Sean Rowe)
By Gerard Cromwell
Having taken the veteran’s national cyclo-cross championship last year, Newry’s Peter McConville is hoping he can defend the title in Belfast this Sunday.
“I want to defend the jersey but there’s a couple of good vets out there, a couple of guys going really well like Jason Henry, John Buggs, Aiden McDonald,” he said.
“I’d like to get a podium. Realistically I’ll be aiming for that. To defend the jersey is going to be tough. The sport is blooming and there are younger guys coming through, which is good to see. And it’s good racing every week.”
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At 48 years of age, McConville knows time is against him and has made the most of his year in the shamrock jersey, winning numerous veteran races along the way.
“It’s been brilliant wearing the jersey,” he says.
“It’s been a goal for a couple of years and I got it 12 months ago. I love wearing it in a race.
“I’ve been racing a lot and it’s just really because I’ve got the jersey. You feel you’ve got to get out there and do it justice. I probably would have raced less if I hadn’t had the jersey because I’ve done an awful lot of racing this season.
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“I’ve done a good few races up north and two of the north Dublin series and all of the Fixx Supercross series. I like the Fixx series. It’s good tight racing on good courses generally, and it seems to be a lot faster this year.
“So you can’t make one little mistake or there’ll be three or four guys on you. I prefer that tight racing than slogging through a boggy field.”
A strong mountainbike and road rider, the wily McConville has long learned to peak for the championships and shows no signs of giving up his title without a fight.
“It’s more about keeping your intensity high,” he says of his winter training schedule.
“You don’t have to do big volume of miles for cyclo-cross. It’s just short, sharp efforts on the turbo and keeping on the cross bike, making sure you’re getting a wee bit of technical skills in.
“I run twice a week at least. I did a 10km run on Boxing Day but that’d be the height of it. I’m not sure if I’ll race much on the road next year but I enjoy ‘cross too much to give it up.
“I’ll do a bit on the mountainbike, a bit on the road too but I’m under no pressure. I’ll just get out and enjoy it.”
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McConville has raced a heavy schedule during the cyclocross season and is looking to finish it in style this weekend (Photo: Sean Rowe)
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