Sean McKenna will race full-time in 2017 with the An Post Chain Reaction team and as a first-year elite rider he is determined to hit the ground running.
By Brian Canty
Sean McKenna is ready to completely immerse himself in full-time bike racing next season after this week agreeing a one-year deal with the Belgian-based An Post ChainReaction team for 2017.
The 22-year old is no longer eligible to ride as an espoir so is into the elite ranks and he knows if he’s to make a career out of the sport things must happen for him next year.
He raced for the team this season but only fleetingly, as he was based in Ireland for much of the racing calendar but with his university degree now behind him it’s full-bore for 2017.
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“To get to ride with the team this year was an unbelievable experience,” he reflected.
“The set-up they had was amazing; from the staff to the equipment. Everything is there to help you be the best rider you can be. All you have to do is ride your bike.”
The Dubliner, nephew of current Cycling Ireland president Ciarán McKenna and whose father Mick was also an international, remembers rocking up to one of his first races abroad.
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He was alongside luminaries like Niki Terpstra and Tom Boonen and if not exactly overawed he said it was a big moment.
“It’s tough, but if you get a result against these guys you're going places and the team does everything they can to make that happen," he said.
“The team is an amazing springboard to progress and it’s brilliant to be a part of a team like this, especially when you look at the riders who have been on the team.
“As I said, if you get a result you have a chance to progress in the sport and to ride for some big teams.
"You just have to look at lads like Bennett and (Gediminas) Bagdonas for the proof.”
McKenna was prolific at home in 2015 and finished the season as the country’s highest-ranked rider.
This year saw him win less, by virtue of racing less at home and riding many big UCI races in the latter half of the season not to mention sitting his finals in college in the spring.
“The experience I got this year has given me an idea of what to expect next year," he said. “I learned a huge amount and hopefully I can use that to improve.
“Experience is invaluable in this sport and I got plenty of it this year. I’m very grateful to get the chance to ride with the team next year and use everything I've learned to try and improve.
“Being a full-time rider has always been the dream and it's an amazing opportunity to get. It’s nice to have to the degree and now the opportunity to give it a proper go.”
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