JB Murphy is a complete cyclocross novice in the European stage but the young man from Newbridge gave a really good account of himself at the continent's biggest stage at the weekend, finishing on the same lap as the winner despite an ill-timed mechanical.
By Brian Canty
JB Murphy has relived his debut at the European junior cyclocross championships at the weekend, saying it was exhilarating and exhausting all in one.
The Murphy Surveyors, Kilcullen rider was part of the two-strong Irish team for the event, with Craig McCarthy also lining up towards the back of the grid with around 50 riders.
Murphy would finish 42nd overall and impressively, on the same time as the winner while McCarthy was unfortunate to be pulled off on the last lap as the eventual winner was just behind him.
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“The course was extremely fast and hard with lots of power climbs,” he said.
“The start was so fast but I moved up a lot as I started from last row on the grid.
“I was on the same time as the leader first time around but then it began to split up a lot.”
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He got into a small group and began to chase the lone leader, a German rider.
“We finally caught him after about a lap of chasing but then the pace hit me up the drags.
“I was dropped by that group and picked up by another.
“The recovery wasn't much and they were attacking but I sat in.”
On the last lap he noticed his back wheel began to lose a lot of air so he went in for a pit stop to have it serviced.
“I really pushed hard and caught the little group of four riders I was in.
“When I caught them it was the hardest part of the course and this was about 600m to the finish.
“I gave it everything but it wasn't enough as a rider from Germany and Luxembourg came around me.
“I was happy and I learnt a lot because there is such a difference to the racing at home.”
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