Sean Kelly believes the junior scene is very weak and the Rás far too early, while getting onto his An Post-CRC team is too easy for riders. Pictured at the end of stage 10 of the 1988 Tour de France in Morzine (Photo: Sirotti)
By Brian Canty
Sean Kelly has voiced his concern about the state of racing in the country, saying the situation is “not healthy”.
The Irish cycling legend says the numbers competing at junior level are not conducive to producing more quality riders, while he also believes the racing calendar needs a revamp.
“I’d be concerned looking at the scene in Ireland,” he said.
“If you look at the juniors at the moment; who have we got? O’Loughlin? Dunbar is now gone. Outside of that? Who is there?
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“Back in the mid-1980s you had bunches of 200 in the Junior Tour.
On the podium in the bronze medal position at the 1989 World Championships behind Greg Lemond and Russian Dimitri Konyshev (Photo: Sirotti)
“The junior national championships in the 80s; you probably had 100 riders minimum.
“And probably 60-70 of them were very competitive; five or six from that were a little bit ahead of the rest.
“But now, you look at the junior championships, there were very few started the time-trial last year and few finished the road race.
“That gives you the answer immediately. It’s not a healthy situation.
“We need 12 or 15 guys like Dunbar and O’Loughlin and then guys who are just a little bit off them as well; maybe late developers who might perform better as U23 riders. It’s not healthy at all.”
Kelly believes there is not enough of a fight among Irish riders to get onto his An Post-Chainreaction team.
Kelly said the situation does not help his own An Post Chainreaction team.
“There’s always the few we can take (onto the team), but it’s not a good situation because those four or five guys; it’s too easy for them.
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“They don’t have to fight to get into the team. Or if they get into the team; they’re part of those four or five Irish guys.
“They know in the races like the Rás there’ll be two or three, four if possible, but they don’t have to fight enough.
“There’s not enough guys fighting to get into the team and into the races and that’s just an unwanted situation.”
While Michael O'Loughlin (left) and Eddie Dunbar were the pick of the junior crop last year, Sean Kelly believes there is little strength in depth (Photo: Dc Images)
He also has reservations about the Irish racing calendar and the format of races.
“The domestic races should be longer so that when the club guy goes to the Rás he’s not at a disadvantage,” he explained.
“He’s been racing 100k races and the races in the Rás are 130 or 130k+?
“You have to try and change that. But, the Sunday races; do you have a field that’s capable of racing that distance?
“Will you have a good race? Will you have enough guys capable of finishing?
“I think the programme in Ireland, and I’ve said it donkey’s years ago; unfortunately the Rás is so early.
Kelly suggests there are not enough good young riders in Irish cycling to push each other on.
“If you could have it in August then the guys have much more time to do more races and train.
“And in the summer you can ride a race and do extra training with a view to riding it in August.
“I’ve mentioned it on many occasions but I think it’s a cost issue. It would improve the guys domestically.
“The season seems to die off after the Rás. And that’s because it’s too early and the guys are in full-on training in November.
“If it was in August they wouldn’t train so early, they’d race through the summer and be more competitive at the Rás at the end of August.”
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