Now living in the US, Gary Thomson has just turned 50 years old and three decades after finishing 2nd in his first Rás he's going to ride it again (Photo with thanks to Eddie Dawson, www.rastailteann.com)
By Brian Canty
The line-up for a team of comeback riders who will join double Rás winner Ciaran Power in tackling the eight-day race again in May has been completed, with Olympian and former Milk Race stage winner Gary Thomson now in the fold.
The 50-year-old rode the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 1984 when he was just 20 years old, underlining his talent at that tender age by a huge ride in the two-week Milk Race in the UK that year.
He was one of the animators of many stages and among a hat-full of top 10 finishes were three trips to the podium. He took victory on stage 11 into Halifax, was 2nd on stage 6 and 3rd on stage 7.
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The previous year, as a teenager and second year senior, he was 2nd overall in the Rás behind winner Philip Cassidy and took 3rd in the Tour of the Cotswolds, a major UK classic at the time.
He won the Junior Tour of Ireland in 1981 and was a permanent member of the elite national team from the moment he turned senior.
At the '84 Olympics he rode both the team time trial and the road race. In the team test he accompanied Martin Earley, Paul Kimmage and Philip Cassidy and in the road race was joined by Earley, Kimmage and Seamus Downey.
Thomson raced most of his career with the Emerald Carlsberg club, which was founded by the McQuaid family. He was introduced to cycling by former UCI president Pat McQuaid. When he was a PE teacher, McQuaid encouraged many of his students into the sport.
The big men of the 1983 Rás: Left to right, Gary Thomson (Raleigh Ireland) 2nd overall, Jamie McGahan (Scotland) 3rd overall and winner Philip Cassidy of Raleigh Ireland (Photo with thanks to Eddie Dawson, www.rastailteann.com)
Thomson is joined in the Rás comeback team by Power, fellow former race winner Andy Roche, former pro cyclist Morgan Fox and former international Michael McNena.
Power told stickybottle that the latest additions, McNena (37) and Thomson, are in great condition despite not winning races in Ireland for many years.
“Michael has amazing commitment and dedication for a fella with a business and two kids, some of the training he’s doing is unreal and Gary the same; he’s in very good nick and they’re really up for it,” he said.
As regards his own progress to date, Power admitted he’s just focusing on slimming down little by little before he introduces some high intensity training into his programme.
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“The weight thing is the biggest issue for me; in my mind I know I’ll be 100 per cent when it comes to the Rás. But to get the weight down nice and steady is what I need to do.
“I’ve been losing a kilo a week at the moment and that’s what I want to do. It’s pointless losing three kilos one week and none the next so as long as I keep going I’ll be okay.
“January training has all been steady; no intervals or anything. And February will be the same. I’m up to 80 mile rides now on Sundays and February will be all 100 mile rides.
“We’ve a good group going out here on a Wednesday to do 60 miles at almost threshold and then I’m doing some weight sessions and other bits and pieces as well so things are going well.
“The plan would be the Paddy’s Day race in Carrick and from there on in it’ll be a lot of motor-pacing; finishing a three hour ride with an hour behind the bike.
“And the same on Sunday except four hours with the last hour and a half behind the bike. Then we’ll do Rás Mumhan, Tour of Ulster and maybe one of the bigger one-day races likes the Shay Elliott and then into the Rás.”
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Of the mid week Rás route announcement which confirmed a whopping 36 climbs this year, Power said: “The Rás is always won by a strong rider, you don’t have to be a climber or anything; you just have to be strong.
“So either way it doesn’t change what I’ll be trying to do which is win a flat stage. Because regardless of how much weight I’m willing to lose, I won’t be small enough or strong enough to get over the big hills.
“The route doesn’t really change anything for me; I’ll be trying to make an opportunistic move or take a sprint. For me, rolly roads and flat days are going to be good. So I’ll be more than likely trying to race every second day like I did back in 2005.
“I guess all the GC guys are going to be going crazy the first day so it’s not going to be suitable for me to race against them. But the second day... you never know. But having said all that, I’m still a long, long way away as regards my fitness and everything else.”
In the 1983 Rás, eventual 3rd placed overall Jamie McGahan of Scotland (left) takes a time bonus sprint from Gary Thomson of the national team, who would finished 2nd on general classification (Photo with thanks to Eddie Dawson, www.rastailteann.com)
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