Mark Downey leaves behind an excellent junior career with a major medal in his palmares. But he knows the battle is just beginning (Photo: Toby Watson)
Mark Downey has said it was the highlight of his career to take the silver medal in the junior points race at the European Track Championships this year.
And he now wants to step up to the elite national track squad by the end of 2015.
Having ridden for the Nicolas Roche Performance Team this year, the Banbridge teenager said he would also target the U23 time trial at the national road championships in Omagh in June.
He will have to get past Ryan Mullen to take gold, but having won the junior time trial title few would be against Downey adding the U23 crown to it at some stage over the next four years.
Advertisement
For now, while there is no hurry, he seems keen to progress as quickly as possible in U23-elite racing.
Knowing he can medal at major championships and now having four years to do that at U23 level means the world is at Mark Downey's feet.
“The memory of winning the silver medal at the Euros will stay with me forever,” he said.
“Particularly because of the sacrifices I made in terms of the road season where I just coasted. A lot of people had been saying ‘Mark Downey’s well below par'.
"And I knew myself I was, but that was all to keep me fresh for the mid-season. I went to an Irish track camp prior to the Euros and really smashed myself into shape in the hope of medalling.
"I put so much pressure on myself going there. I did my training at 110 per cent effort and I was in the form of my life.
"Cycling Ireland and (coach) Brian Nugent gave every rider great support and I knew I had a good chance.
"I made a few silly errors on the day which cost me the gold but I’m still learning and was so proud of what I achieved.”
Downey leads team mate Matt Teggart, another man who can really excel at U23 level, up the road in the Newry Three Day this year (Photo: Toby Watson)
Related News
Downey rode the time-trial at the World Championships in Ponferrada in September but he admitted that may have been “a race too far”.
I gave it my best shot but the fact I hadn’t raced since the nationals and was dragging my form from the Euros right up until September wasn’t the right way of going about it," he says in honest appraisal of his Worlds ride.
“I pushed myself to the maximum in every training session.
"But at the end of the day, if you haven’t raced in that long you’ll lose that high-intensity race zip and it just seemed like one race too far.”
He’s parked that disappointment, however, and is now fully focused on 2015.
No stranger to international duty, Downey rode the time-trial at the World Championships in Ponferrada but said the event may have been a race too far after a packed season.
Victorious in yellow at Rás Dhun na nGall in 2013; Downey put many domestic races aside this year in favour of an ‘eggs in one basket’ approach to the European Track Championships (Photo: Eymard Brennan Photography)
“I’d love another crack at the Euros in the summer and that will be a target for me,” he said of the U23 races he will compete in for the next four seasons.
"Obviously with the elite squad there are a few of the U23 guys on it and they seem to be getting stronger and stronger with every race.
“So it will be competitive, but I’m looking forward to the challenge.
“I’d also like to put it up to the big guns in the nationals and maybe join the likes of Martyn Irvine on the pursuit squad and ride a few World Cups. That would be a dream come true.
"I need to prove myself first before I can ride these races but I now know I have the capability to race at a high level on the track.”
Topics
